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Dissertation
BEES AS KEY POLLINATORS: UNDERSTANDING THEIR ROLES AND THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
Washington State University
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
05/2025
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7273/000007412
Abstract
Bees are ecologically and agriculturally important. However, their populations are in decline due to a combination of factors, including parasitic infestations, pesticide exposure, and habitat loss. This dissertation seeks to improve wild bee conservation through an extension publication, which alerts the public to local scale factors driving pollinator decline in the Pacific Northwest and promotes pollinator-friendly practices. Additionally, this dissertation presents an observational natural history survey of bees in the Palouse. This survey catalogues bees, the pollen they collect, their parasitic communities, and pesticides they’re exposed to in the field. Bees in this region were found to host diverse phoretic mite communities, with limited pesticide exposure. They were also found to collect pollen from a multitude of sources, congruent with other studies. The necessity of diverse ecosystems has led to the implementation of wildflower plantings in apple orchards throughout central Washington. These plantings were sampled to determine the communities of bees which utilize them. These plantings were found to promote the abundance and richness of wild bees throughout the growing season. However, orchard spaces in central Washington are heavily stocked with honey bees, which are the single most important species in pome fruit production in the US. To assess if pollination efficiency of honey bees could be enhanced with attractants, seven experiments were conducted across three years in apple and pear orchards here. Additionally, one experiment was conducted to determine if honey bees could be used to clean fruit damaging honeydew produced by pestiferous pear psylla. Honey bee attractants were not consistently found to increase visitation, and did not have an impact on fruit weight, diameter, or seed set. Attractants did not increase visits to honeydew laden trees, nor did they lead to a reduction in honeydew concentration as measured by °Brix. Despite the utilization of honey bees, prioritizing the conservation of wild pollinators is critical for the maintenance of agricultural and ecosystem stability.
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Details
- Title
- BEES AS KEY POLLINATORS
- Creators
- Mario Natale Luppino
- Contributors
- Allan Felsot (Co-Chair)Robert Orpet (Co-Chair)SIlas Bossert (Committee Member)Tobin Northfield (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Department of Entomology
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 182
- Identifiers
- 99901220449201842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation