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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Logan, Utah » Pollinating Insect-Biology, Management, Systematics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #143046
Title: BIOLOGICAL IMPEDIMENTS TO MEASURES OF COMPETITION AMONG INTRODUCED HONEY BEES AND DESERT BEES.

Author
item MINCKLEY, R. - UNIV. OF UTAH
item Cane, James
item KERVIN, L. - BBSL
item YANEGA, D. - UNIV. OF CALIFORNIA

Submitted to: Journal of Kansas Entomological Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2002
Publication Date: 4/3/2003
Citation: MINCKLEY, R.L., CANE, J.H., KERVIN, L.J., YANEGA, D.A. BIOLOGICAL IMPEDIMENTS TO MEASURES OF COMPETITION AMONG INTRODUCED HONEY BEES AND DESERT BEES.. JOURNAL OF KANSAS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 2003. 76(2):306-319

Interpretive Summary: Honeybees have been depicted as "bad" for native bees when the two compete for pollen and nectar from the same species of floral host. We found no correlation between the abundance of honeybees and the abundance or diversity of native bees visiting flowers of the dominant desert shrub, creosote bush, at 47 2-acre sites across the American Southwest. Estimated pollen production per acre exceeded the calculated needs of the fauna at nearly all sites. Hence, pollen was not a limiting resource for bee reproduction, and so its removal by honeybees wasof little apparent consequence.

Technical Abstract: Honeybees have been depicted as "bad" for native bees when the two compete for pollen and nectar from the same species of floral host. We found no correlation between the abundance of honeybees and the abundance or diversity of native bees visiting flowers of the dominant desert shrub, creosote bush, at 47 2-acre sites across the American Southwest. Estimated pollen production per acre exceeded the calculated needs of the fauna at nearly all sites. Hence, pollen was not a limiting resource for bee reproduction, and so its removal by honeybees wasof little apparent consequence.