I think that the debate here is about feral bees (once domesticated, but have now gone on to live in the wild) vs. always-wild (never having been domesticated.)
If wild(ish) colonies can’t maintain themselves over the winter, and instead new colonies must start from scratch from escaped domestic bees each spring, then it is true that they aren’t wild bees.
Interestingly, in North America honey bees are allochthonous (non-native; brought by settler colonists from Europe) and mildly invasive, in that they are competing rather successfully with our native bumblebees and other solitary bees. My garden has been plagued by them for several years, in that they’re driving off the bumbles (whom I adore.) Someone must have a hive somewhere.
I grow a lot of plants to support pollinators. Borage (Borago officinalis) and anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) are their favorites in my backyard. I have picked sleeping bumblebees off hyssop flowers, moving them to others, so that I can weed. Barehanded - bumbles very rarely sting.
If wild(ish) colonies can’t maintain themselves over the winter, and instead new colonies must start from scratch from escaped domestic bees each spring, then it is true that they aren’t wild bees.
Interestingly, in North America honey bees are allochthonous (non-native; brought by settler colonists from Europe) and mildly invasive, in that they are competing rather successfully with our native bumblebees and other solitary bees. My garden has been plagued by them for several years, in that they’re driving off the bumbles (whom I adore.) Someone must have a hive somewhere.
I grow a lot of plants to support pollinators. Borage (Borago officinalis) and anise hyssop (Agastache foeniculum) are their favorites in my backyard. I have picked sleeping bumblebees off hyssop flowers, moving them to others, so that I can weed. Barehanded - bumbles very rarely sting.
