Investigating the pitfalls of bee hotels (Old ID 30046)
Role
Chief Investigator
Description
Concern for bees among the public has led to the augmentation of habitat for bees including the addition of bee hotels. Bee hotels are often claimed to increase bee diversity and abundance. However, they artificially aggregate nesting sites above densities naturally available for bees, which could lead to increased prevalence of pathogens, viruses and parasitism, and higher predation rates. Properly controlled experiments to investigate these threats are limited, and none have been conducted in the tropics. This project investigates whether the density of nesting spaces in bee hotels affects predation rates and pathogen and parasite prevalence in cavity nesting bees.
Date
01 Jul 2023 - 31 Dec 2026
Project Type
GRANT
Keywords
Bee hotel;pathogen;native bee;agriculture;threats;Trap nest
Funding Body
Entomological Society of Queensland
Amount
2000
Project Team
Lori Lach;Peter Yeeles