Variation in North American bumble bee nest success and colony sizes under captive rearing conditions.

Of the 265 known bumble bee (Bombus) species, knowledge of colony lifecycle is derived from relatively few species. As interest in Bombus commercialization and conservation grows, it is becoming increasingly important to understand colony growth dynamics across a variety of species since variation exists in nest success, colony growth, and reproductive output. In this study, we reported successful nest initiation and establishment rates of colonies and generated a timeline of colony development for 15 western North American Bombus species, which were captively reared from wild-caught gynes from 2009 to 2019.

Comparative analysis of 3 pollen sterilization methods for feeding bumble bees.

Pollen is an essential component of bee diets, and rearing bumble bees (Bombus spp.) for commercial use necessitates feeding pollen in mass quantities. This pollen is collected from honey bee (Apis mellifera L.

Novel Microsatellite Markers for Osmia lignaria (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): A North American Pollinator of Agricultural Crops and Wildland Plants.

Comprehensive decisions on the management of commercially produced bees, depend largely on associated knowledge of genetic diversity. In this study, we present novel microsatellite markers to support the breeding, management, and conservation of the blue orchard bee, Osmia lignaria Say (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Native to North America, O.