Viruses in managed honeybees are spilling over to wild bumblebee populations though the shared use of flowers, a first-of-its-kind study reveals. This research suggests commercial apiaries may need to be kept away from areas where there are vulnerable native pollinator species, like the endangered rusty patched bumblebee. many of the threats to honeybees (Apis mellifera) — including land degradation, certain pesticides, and diseases — also threaten native bees, such as the rusty patched bumblebee, recently listed under the Endangered Species Act; it has declined by nearly 90% but was once an excellent pollinator of cranberries, plums, apples and other agricultural plants.
— source uvm.edu | Jun 26, 2019