And why it starts with habitat, not honey.
This Pollinator Week, we’re asking a big, sometimes uncomfortable question: Could beekeeping be hurting bees?
If you’ve read this new article “The impact of beekeeping on native bees in urban settings” by OSU professors, Andony Melathopoulos, Associate Professor Pollinator Health Extension and Ramesh Sagili, Ph.D, Professor – Apiculture Department of Horticulture, you’ll already know the answer isn’t simple. But it is fascinating. The piece, authored by two of the leading honeybee and wild native bee pollinator experts in the country – explores the nuanced impacts of backyard beekeeping on native bees in urban areas—without finger-pointing and with plenty of science
“You wouldn’t keep chickens to save songbirds, so why keep honeybees to save native bees?”
The authors admit it’s a catchy metaphor. But is it fair?
Turns out, no. Andony and Ramesh argue that while honeybees aren’t native to North America, backyard beekeepers are often powerful advocates for pollinators of all kinds. Many of them, in fact, are also Master Melittologists—the very citizen scientists documenting Oregon’s 900+ native bee species.
This mirrors what we’ve seen in the Save the Bee community:
Our movement was built on the back (wings?) of honey bee awareness—but it has grown into something bigger. We now call on our supporters to become Save the Bee Bee-Keepers—no veil, no smoker, no hive required. Just action. Big or small. Anyone can join. Everyone is needed.
So… Should We Stop (traditional) Keeping Bees?
Not quite. But we should understand what happens when we do.
One concern raised in the article is that honey bee colonies consume large amounts of pollen and nectar. In theory, this could outcompete native bees. But in practice?
“Increased competition may cause bee species to switch their foraging patterns, resulting in little impact on their overall reproductive success.”
The authors review dozens of studies and find no clear evidence that backyard beekeeping in cities like Portland threatens native bee populations. In fact, Oregon’s rare bees aren’t found in cities at all—they live in fragile, remote habitats that most honey bee hives never reach.
A similar conclusion was reached by the Xerces Society, a leading voice in pollinator conservation. In their article, “Want to Save Bees? Focus on Habitat, Not Honey Bees”, they write:
“The biggest threats to native bees are habitat loss, pesticide use, disease, and climate change—not competition with honey bees.”
What Does Help Bees?
We agree with both OSU and Xerces on this: habitat is everything.
That’s why Save the Bee works to fund and accelerate habitat restoration projects across the country—from urban farms and schoolyards to rangelands and orchards.
We also teach people how to support native and honey bees right where they live:
- Plant native wildflowers and flowering herbs
- Avoid pesticides (especially during bloom)
- Leave some “mess”—bare soil, old stems, leaf litter—for nesting
And yes, if you keep bees, you’re as much a part of the solution as anyone. But as the OSU article points out, we need to recognize the difference between:
- Commercial beekeeping, which moves thousands of hives across states for crop pollination (and poses real disease risks)
- Backyard beekeeping, which can support education, connection, and conservation—when practiced responsibly
Let’s Talk More
This July, Save the Bee will host a virtual discussion with OSU’s Andony Melathopoulos and Ramesh Sagili to dive deeper into their findings and what they mean for the future of pollinator conservation. For those of you who don’t know, Dr. Sagili leads the Honey Bee lab at OSU, while down the hall, Dr Melathopoulous leads the state-wide native bee survey (the Oregon Bee Atlas). In short, you probably can’t find two more qualified people to discuss this specific topic.
We’ll explore:
- What the science actually says about competition and disease
- Why native bee diversity matters so much
- How backyard beekeepers and non-beekeepers alike can take action
Date TBD—but sign up for our newsletter or follow us on LinkedIn to be the first to know.
This Pollinator Week, we celebrate the messy, complex, beautiful world of bees and pollinators. All of them.
Join the movement. Become a Save the Bee Bee-keeper. No suit required.
www.savethebee.org
