Wild Bees Fly for Research

Wild bee (osmia bicornis) (Photo: Sandy/Flickr) What stresses wild bees? Is it certain plant-protection products, the absence of nutrient-rich foods - or a combination of both factors? Together with research partners throughout Europe, Agroscope is investigating these issues. Of the total proceeds from agriculture in Switzerland, around CHF 350 million a year are only generated due to the pollination performance of honeybees and wild bees. Many of Switzerland's over 600 wild-bee species often make as important a contribution here, as do honeybees - hence, the protection of wild bees is also crucial for the farming sector. Insect numbers have declined worldwide in many regions, and wild-bee populations are also under pressure. But what exactly is harming wild bees? As part of an EU project and together with 42 partner organisations (www.poshbee.eu), Agroscope experts investigate possible stress factors and their interactions. The aim: to improve the applied scientific knowledge required to further develop and optimise measures for keeping honeybee and wild-bee populations healthy. Red mason bees as a model species for solitary bees The red mason bee ( Osmia bicornis ) is a good model species for investigating stress factors on solitary bees, and it is used throughout Europe in such trials.