09/05/2026
We Should Be Focusing On Native Bees and Other Pollinators, Not Just Honeybees
A study published in Science News in 2023 emphasizes the importance of conserving wild, native insects too.
“This study is an example of why more conservation focus should be on native bees and other pollinators, which are vital to ecosystems and agriculture, in addition to honeybees.
Honeybees command a lot of attention in insect conservation circles, in part because they are important for pollinating our food supply.
But findings emphasize the importance of prioritizing pollinators like wild, native bees, moths and butterflies in conservation efforts too, the researchers say.
Flowers pollinated by honeybees make fewer and lower-quality seeds than flowers visited by other pollinators.
That could be because honeybees spend more time buzzing between flowers of the same plant than other pollinators do. As a result, more of the plant’s own pollen is deposited back on itself, leading to more in**ed seeds, researchers report June 28 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.”
Flowers pollinated by honeybees make lower-quality seeds: https://www.sciencenews.org/article/flowers-pollinate-honeybees-low-seeds
Photo collage of native bees: Yellow-faced bumble bee, Ultra-green Sweat Bee, female Valley Carpenter Bee, Yellow-faced bumble bee
