Honeybees (Apis mellifera) are a single managed species kept in dense colonies, while "native bees" cover hundreds of wild solitary and bumblebee species in the UK alone — many of which are specialists tied to particular flowers or nesting sites. When a hive is placed in a landscape with limited flowers, its thousands of foragers can out-compete wild bees for the same nectar and pollen, especially where floral diversity is low.
The UK has roughly 270 native bee species (1 honeybee, 24 bumblebees, the rest solitary bees), and conservation groups increasingly recommend planting more forage and diversifying flower species — rather than adding more hives — as the most effective way to support them.
A shared wildflower meadow where a managed honeybee hive and a population of wild native bees forage the same flowers — watch how colony size, wild population, floral abundance and specialist blooms shift the balance between them.
Generalist flowers can be visited by any bee, but specialist flowers only reward native bees. When floral abundance or the specialist share is low, honeybees and native bees crowd onto the same generalist blooms and native foraging success drops.
Adjust honeybee colony size and native bee population to create competitive pressure, then raise floral abundance or the specialist flower share to relieve it. Watch the two foraging-success stats respond in near-real time.
The UK is home to around 270 native bee species, and conservation groups now argue that planting more diverse forage — rather than simply adding more hives — is the single most effective way to protect them.