Quamash EcoResearch
Ecological research in support of restoration and conservation
How does a non-native bumble bee affect the diet of native bumble bees?
Bombus impatiens Cresson, the eastern bumble bee, is rapidly expanding its introduced range in the Pacific Northwest, but its potential competitive effect on foraging by native bumble bees is unknown.
Although B. impatiens workers tend to emerge later in the season than native Bombus spp., there is a high potential for dietary overlap. Competition between native and introduced pollinators is important because it may affect native pollinator foraging patterns, which in turn influence pollinator effectiveness and plant pollination success.
We are exploring three hypotheses:
This research is supported by the Pollinator Health: Research and Application Project award no. 2022-67013-36286, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Co-PIs: Chris Looney (WSDA), Sandra Gillespie (University of the Fraser Valley), Ellen Klinger (Ohio State University), Jon Koch (University of Hawaii), and Lauren Ponisio (University of Oregon).