Mixing with managed bees may be to blame for increased diseases in wild bumblebees, prompting concern for their conservation, scientists have warned. It has been discovered that bumblebees suffer from more parasites when they are collected from around sites using managed bees.
Managed honey bees and bumblebees are frequently used by apiarists and farmers for their honey production or pollination services. The introduction of managed bees can increase the number of pollinators competing for resources in a given area and this can have ramifications to native pollinators.