Wild Bee Conservation: Beyond the Honeybee

Wild bee species face greater threats than managed honeybees yet receive less attention. Conservation of wild bee diversity is essential for ecosystem function and individual bee welfare.

Key Facts

There are over 20,000 bee species globally; the UK alone has 270 species beyond the managed honeybee
Bumblebee populations have declined by up to 70% in some species across their historical ranges
Solitary bees including mason bees, leafcutter bees and mining bees nest in soil, wood and plant stems
Pesticide exposure impairs navigation and immune function in wild bees as it does in managed honeybees
Habitat loss from agricultural intensification reduces nesting sites and floral diversity essential for wild bees
The IUCN has assessed 58 European bumblebee species: one third are threatened with extinction
Wild bees are more effective pollinators than honeybees for many plant species due to behavioural differences

Welfare Considerations

Wild bee welfare encompasses both individual bee experiences and population-level conservation concerns. Individual wild bees exposed to sub-lethal pesticide doses experience navigation impairment that prevents foraging success, immune compromise that increases disease susceptibility and reproductive failure. Bumblebees, as social bees with colonies of 50-400 individuals, experience colony-level welfare impacts from queen failure and worker loss. Solitary bees that fail to provision nests due to food scarcity leave offspring that die before emergence. Conservation interventions that restore floral diversity and reduce pesticide exposure improve the welfare of billions of individual wild bees annually while also supporting the ecosystem services they provide. Wild bee conservation is both an animal welfare and an ecological imperative.

What You Can Do

Plant native wildflowers to provide season-long food resources for diverse wild bee species
Leave areas of bare or sandy soil for mining bee nesting habitat in gardens
Install bee hotels with appropriate tube diameters for target solitary species
Advocate for pesticide reduction policies targeting neonicotinoids and other bee-harmful compounds
Support Bumblebee Conservation Trust and Wild Bee Conservation with membership or donation