Wild Bees: Distribution, Types, Behavior and Conservation

Wild Bees, among over 20,000 known types of bees are totally uniquely classified bees from the known Genus Apis for honey production.

Bees are the foremost pollinator of nature and 85% are wild, they dwell freely and are not meant to be constrained by us humans. Here, we learn about the wild Bees, where they live, their behavior, their importance in balancing the ecosystem and the ways we can preserve them.

What are the Wild Bees?

These are the Bees living in the wild. They are called Wild Bees because they aren't domesticated by humans or managed by humans although the honey is harvested by some means. Their natural nesting sites and adaption to local environments has categorized them as the wild bees. They are not primarily known for honey although some varieties of honey are harvested from some types of bees,

Distribution of Wild Bees

Wild bees are the primary pollinators of the wildlife including trees, wild plants and wild crops around the world. Most of the bees including the largest bee family Apidae have constantly adapted to varying environments of different regions.

The wild bees have a very wide distribution across various habitats and regions. However, some bees of wild families are limited and native to specific regions such as

• Stingless bees: They are the native bees of tropical and subtropical regions especially from Central/South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia
• Mining bees: These bees are believed to be native of North America and Europe
• Plasterer bees: Natives of Southern Hemisphere especially Australia and South America
• Sweat bees: Diversely found in dry and temperate regions of the Globe.
  

Male vs Female Wild bees

Female wild bees have a longer lifespan compared to males and their main role is to build nests for eggs and deposit enough pollen and nectar to feed the developing larvae. Female wild bees are the most hardworking and independent, as she has complex and control role in reproduction, nesting and survival of next generation. 

Once she completes all the responsibility in one nest, she leaves the nest and creates another one and the cycle repeats until her life span.

Drones popularly known as the Male Bees of the wild. Their main purpose is to mate the queen bee and immediately after mating they die because their reproductive organs are ripped from the body.

The males are biologically made for the sole purpose of mating. Even if they don't mate, or if they fail to mate at mating season they simply wander and die. The presence and purpose of male bees is temporary, however females have responsibilities to fulfill.

Nesting Behavior of Wild Bees

The majority of wild bee species are solitary, nomadic and usually don't live or spend their lives in hives. They have diverse nesting strategies based on the environment, species and life cycle for the purpose of survival and reproduction. Some behavioral trait of wild bees nesting are:

• Ground-nesting: Approximately 70% of the wild bees nests in soil because soil offers protection, stable microclimate and evolutionary adaptation. The female bees dugs narrow tunnels and lay eggs there to raise their young. Mining bees, sweat bees and plasterer bees are the common ones to live this way.
• Cavity-nesting: In this, female wild bees find already existing holes in woods, stems or other similar natural cavities and build brood cells in them. Mason bees, leafcutter bees, resin bees and small carpenter bees rely on pre-formed cavities for nesting.
• Others: Wild bees mostly forage in forests and can build nests in structures like twigs, stems, mud or leaves, whichever resource is available around them. However there is a type of bee that builds it's nest in cliff and settles there. They store honey in the form of huge hive, hanging on high cliffs and the honey harvested from them is known as the famous Mad Honey. 

Wild Bees Classification on the basis of Social Structure

Wild bees display a wide range of social behaviors from spending their life alone to forming social groups and organized colonies.

• Solitary bees: Each female is independent to other bees. She build up her own nest, gathers food, lays eggs and seals nest without any help. Majority of the wild bees are solitary and don't form colonies and hence love living freely in the wild. With no queen and workers there is also no division of labor. Some common types of solitary bees Mining bees (Andrena), mason bees (Osmia), leafcutter bees (Megachile), carpenter bees (Xylocopa)
  
• Social bees: Unlike solitary bees, some wild bees of about 250 species live together in shared nest. These bees form cooperative colonies and divide their responsibilities-some are collecting food, some guarding the offspring and the queen bee depositing eggs. Bumblebees, stingless bees and some species of sweat bees are among the ones that live this way.
  
• Communal Bees: This is not a cooperative kind of brood care, bees do share nesting space but in a different way. Multiple females work together to build the nest and when it comes to taking care of their brood cells, they function independently. Species of sweat bees, colletid bees and small carpenter bees are communal, completely different from the solitary and social ones.
  
• Cuckoo/ Parasitic bees: Cuckoo Bees, similar to the parasitic nature of the famous cuckoo bird where they don’t raise their offspring themselves. Rather, they steal nests of other bees and lays eggs there so other bees take care of them. The larvae feed on food meant to be for the hive’s original off-springs. Hence, these bees are adapted for stealth and survival and not for foraging or nest construction.

Wild Bee Identification

Although there are several types of bees, anyone familiar with honey bees can easily identify the wild bees by their Size and Shape, Color Patterns, Wing and Behavioral Clues as well as foraging behaviors. Some examples include:

• Sweat bees: smaller and metallic green/ black & attracted to sweat
• Mason bees: metallic blue to green, no striped pattern and use mud nests
• Bumble bees: larger in size; ranging from 15-25mm, very hairy, bold black and yellow banding
• Aggressive bee that live in the ground: Africanized Honey Bees(killer bees) are the most aggressive bees but they do not live in the ground. Ground-nesting bees, yellow jackets, however, are sometimes called aggressive bees, but in reality, they are a type of wasp.
• Himalayan Giant Bees: With size above 3.0 cm, these Bees are the giant bees of the wild and are found in the Himalayan Ranges.

Wild Bees and Nectar collection

Wild Bees like normal honey bees collect nectar for the purpose of survival and reproduction. They collect nectar known as bee fuel containing Sucrose, Glucose and maltose for flight, foraging, nest building and more.  

In wild these wild bees collect nectars from any wildflowers bees they can find. Some common wildflowers include Goldenrod, Musk mallow, Yarrow, Asters, Coneflower, Foxglove, Knapweed, Primrose, Beebalms, Blueberry, Clovers, Rhododendron, and Oxeye daisy.

Importance of Wild Bees

Although, less considered these Wild Bees are more than just the bees. They accidentally  transfer pollens between flowers which pollinates the flower and help in plant reproduction. 

Wild bees are the primary pollinators, these insects are solely responsible for the pollination of above 80% of flowering plants. These wild bees unknowingly and indirectly help in seed dispersal assistance which supports the natural regeneration of the wild flora. 

Hence, as long as we have wild bees foraging the forests, natural cycle and biodiversity is maintained. It’s not just for humans to harvest honey but also for the birds, insects and other wildlife all are in mutual benefits.

Extinction Risk and need for Conservation

Wild bees don’t have continued population stability and the numbers are gradually decreasing. This decline is due to reasons like climate change, loss of their original habitat, deforestation, wild fire and pesticide use. The alarming loss rate needs effort and we all can play a part for the conservation of the wild bees.

Efforts for the conservation of Wild Bees

1. Natural Habitat Preservation: These non-domesticated bees prefers natural habitats rather than human made. Leaving dried woods, hollow stems and soil for their nesting sites is a good approach for their natural habitat. 
2. Plant Native and Bee friendly plants: Planting native and bee friendly flowering plants without the use of pesticides can be more supporting to the bees. Also, agricultural crops that bees love to forage on can be a good aid towards sustainable beekeeping.
3. Build Artificial Nesting sites: Using environment friendly materials like wood and bamboo for the settlement of bees like Mason, Leafcutters etc can be a great help for those bees.
4.  Raise Awareness: One human effort can be less beneficial in terms of two or more, so educating others about the importance, ways to conserve those wild cuties can be the best approach for the conservation and protection of them.