Wild bee resource utilization on small, diversified farms

Wild bees can provide pollination services within the agroecosystem. These populations are sustained by the availability and accessibility of resources within the environment. Understanding resources requirements, such as nesting habitat, will contribute to the development of better land management and farming practices, which will sustain and promote wild bee populations.

In this study, we relate the estimated number of nests represented by foragers visiting a crop to the surrounding farmscape (up to 500m) and greater landscape (up to 2000m). Using microsatellite markers, we determined sib-ship between Bombus impatiens foragers collected in pumpkin patches on small, diversified farms. We used this information to estimate the number of nests using this floral resource at each farm site, and also to estimate the nest density in the surrounding landscape. We related estimated nest density to landscape metrics to assess if landcover at different distances (farmscape or landscape) affected the number of nests.