Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: akane on February 14, 2009, 03:13:00 PM

Title: honey bees around other bees
Post by: akane on February 14, 2009, 03:13:00 PM
I want to start some hives of honey bees on land that is already thick with other species of bees.  Most notable are the huge numbers of bumble bees.  They make a solid buzzing carpet on the creeping charlie under the walnut trees (nothing else will grow there), covered my catmint last year, and are a common sight around the gardens.  I don't suggest going barefoot outside because I don't maintain a lawn so much as a trimmed mix of wild flowers and native grasses and be careful what you grab in the gardens.  Will the honey bees find their own little niche and share the flowers or be crowded out by the 100,000s of other bees?
Title: Re: honey bees around other bees
Post by: poka-bee on February 14, 2009, 03:26:38 PM
Akane I am thinking that they will have their own niche.  I have tons of bumbles & other wild type bees & they tend to not use the same flowers as my bees.  There is some overlap but not like you would think.  J