Comparison of Honey Bee, Bumble Bee Preferences for Flower Patches: Implications for Conservation, Agriculture

Honey bees and bumble bees are both important pollinators of many crops and wild plants. They collect pollen and nectar from flowers and transfer them to other flowers, facilitating plant reproduction and genetic diversity.

However, not all bees are equally loyal to their flower sources.

Some bees tend to revisit the same flower patch repeatedly, while others explore different patches in search of more rewarding or diverse resources.

The degree of fidelity to a flower patch can have implications for both the bees and the plants they pollinate.

For the bees, it can affect their foraging efficiency, energy expenditure, risk of predation, and information sharing. For the plants, it can affect their pollen quality, quantity, and distance of transfer, which can influence their reproductive success and genetic variation.

The bee result that shocked the researchers

(Photo : PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images)

A new study, published in Ecosphere, reveals how honey bees are more faithful to their flower patches than bumble bees when it comes to returning to collect more pollen and nectar, as per Phys.org.

The study was conducted by scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (ARS), who compared the patch fidelity of honey bees and eastern bumble bees in experimental plots of alfalfa flowers.

The researchers found that overall, 76% of honey bees in the study revisited the same plot of alfalfa flowers in contrast to just 47% of eastern bumble bees.

They also found that patch size mattered more to bumble bees than to honey bees.

Bumble bees were more faithful to larger flower patches, while the likelihood of honey bees returning to a flower patch was not affected by patch size.

The researchers explained that the differences in patch fidelity between the two bee species could be related to their foraging behavior and communication system.

Bumble bees are more explorative and individualistic in their foraging, often visiting more than one type of flower per foraging bout.

Honey bees, on the other hand, have a more developed communication system that allows them to share the location of valuable food sources with other foragers through the waggle dance. This may make honey bees more risk-averse and consistent in their patch choices.

The bee implication that matters to us all

The study provides new insights into the factors that influence patch fidelity in honey bees and bumble bees, which can have consequences for both pollination services and plant evolution.

The researchers suggested that higher patch fidelity of honey bees may benefit crop production by ensuring more consistent and efficient pollination.

However, lower patch fidelity of bumble bees may enhance gene flow among plant populations by transferring pollen over longer distances, which can increase genetic diversity and adaptation.

Also Read: Bees Activate 'Medicinal Properties' Against Parasite Infection During Pollination

How honey bees and bumble bees differ

Honey bees and bumble bees are both members of the bee family, but they belong to different genera. Honey bees are smaller, thinner, and less hairy than bumble bees, as per Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

They have more translucent wings, a more pointed abdomen tip, and a clear distinction between the head and abdomen. Bumble bees are larger, rounder, and fuzzier.

Honey bees and bumble bees also have different lifestyles and behaviors. Honey bees live in large colonies of up to 60,000 workers, with one queen and a few drones. They build wax combs in hives and store honey for winter.

Bumble bees live in smaller colonies of up to 400 workers, with one queen and a few males. They nest in cavities in the ground or in trees and do not store honey.

Honeybees and bumble bees also have different ways of finding and sharing food. Honey bees are more specialized in their foraging, often visiting only one type of flower per foraging bout.

They use the waggle dance to communicate the location of valuable food sources with other foragers.

Bumble bees are more generalist in their foraging, often visiting more than one type of flower per foraging bout. They do not use the waggle dance but rely on individual exploration and learning.

How to support honey bees and bumble bees

Honey bees and bumble bees are both important pollinators of many crops and wild plants, but they face various threats such as habitat loss, pesticides, diseases, parasites, and climate change. To support their health and survival, we can take some simple actions such as:

• Planting a variety of native flowers that bloom throughout the season in our gardens, balconies, or window boxes.
• Avoiding or minimizing the use of pesticides and herbicides that can harm or kill bees.
• Providing nesting sites for bumble bees by leaving some areas of bare soil or grassy tussocks, or by making artificial nests from wooden boxes or clay pots.
• Providing water sources for thirsty bees by filling shallow dishes or birdbaths with fresh water and adding some pebbles or marbles for them to land on.
• Supporting local beekeepers by buying their honey or joining a beekeeping club or course.
• Supporting organizations that work to conserve and protect pollinators such as the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

The researchers also highlighted the need for further research on how patch fidelity varies among different bee species, flower types, landscapes, and environmental conditions.

They also recommended that land managers and conservationists consider the effects of patch size and distribution on bee behavior and pollination outcomes when designing habitats for pollinators.

Related article: How Robotic Bees Could Help Healthy Colonies, Environment