Are honey bees altering wild plant–bee interactions in reconstructed native habitats? An investigation of summer season effects in row-crop agroecosystems with prairie strips

Abstract

Including native habitats in the margins of an intensifying agricultural environment may help conserve organisms such as bees, which can also utilise crop species for sustenance. Nearly 25% of wild bee species in the United States are in danger of extinction and finding floral resources for managed honey bees (Apis mellifera [L.], Apidae) is becoming increasingly difficult. Therefore, both beekeepers and wild bee populations are increasingly reliant on the shrinking native habitat in agroecosystems. We investigated the compatibility of beekeeping with pollinator conservation in one conservation practice known as ‘prairie strips’ integrated into agricultural landscapes. Prairie strips are native plant communities planted within crop fields that provide agronomic benefits while conserving native organisms. We analysed plant–bee interactions and bumble bee body condition at row-crop fields integrated with prairie strips with and without the presence of a commercial-sized apiary of 20 honey bee colonies, during the summer season (June to August) in 2021. We found no effect of apiaries on the abundance and richness of wild bees or bumble bees and no difference in plant–pollinator network structure. Bombus bimaculatus [Cresson, Apidae] had a lower dry mass at prairie strips with apiaries than at prairie strips without. However, there was no difference in dry mass in the other two bumble bee species and no difference in all three bumble bee species when we analysed body size and average wing area. Our study suggests commercial-sized apiaries may have little effect on ecosystem function, wild bee communities and bumble bee body condition from June to August. However, this study did not address the effects of honey apiaries across seasons and years. More research is needed to determine if a commercial-sized apiary would affect wild bee communities after August when honey bees begin visiting native prairie plants more frequently.