Competitive Effects of Honey Bee (Apis melifera) Hives on Morphology and Morphology-Based Abundance of Bumble Bees (Apidae: Bombus) in an Urban Prairie Landscape (City of Red Deer, Alberta)

2025

This thesis aimed to establish whether there were measurable effects of managed honey bees (Apis melifera) on bumble bee (Bombus) populations in the City of Red Deer, with an intent to aid wild bee conservation in the area as well as decision-making regarding possible legislation of honey bee keeping within the city. A growing body of research has documented the negative effects of managed honey bees on wild bee populations has been accumulating in many regions over several decades, while others are yet undocumented. Competition for floral resources between introduced honey bees and native bumble bees are expected to have the greatest impact on bumble bees of similar morphologies to honey bees, including body size and tongue length. Two pairs of sites (located near to- and far from honey bee hives) were compared for effects on bumble bee body size and abundance relative to tongue length. Contrary to expectations, short-tongued bumble bees (where tongue-length is similar to honey bees) were more abundant in sites near to honey bees and long-tongue bumble bees were less abundant, which does not support our hypothesis. Rather, it suggests a novel disproportionate impact of honey bees on long-tongued bumble bees. The data indicate that current hobby (honey)beekeeping in this municipality is negatively influencing the abundance of bumble bee groups. Discovery of an endangered species (Bombus bohemicus) and a threatened species (Bombus terricola) added to the value of this study. Recommendations for city policy to protect these species, other bumble bees, and wild bees overall, are that honey bee keeping within City limits be limited and regulated, or, preferably, outright prohibited. This project contributes to better understanding of overall bumble bee populations relating to Red Deer’s landscape and may serve as part of a baseline for future research.