# Honey bee hive collapse and native pollinators

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-bee-hive-collapse-and-native-pollinators/726852>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 3, 2015, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-bee-hive-collapse-and-native-pollinators/726852 "2015-08-03T03:59:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-bee-hive-collapse-and-native-pollinators/726852/1 "2015-08-03T03:59:14Z")

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Honey bees are not native to North America. Squashes, peppers hot and sweet, peanuts, sunflowers, blueberries, and other food crops are. Obviously, they were pollinated before the “white man’s fly” was introduced here.

Question #1: how are the native pollinators doing these days? Are they faring better or worse than _Apis mellifera_?

Question #2: How would all the introduced food crops have fared here if honey bees had not accompanied their introduction?

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**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\
**Post date:** [August 3, 2015, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/honey-bee-hive-collapse-and-native-pollinators/726852/2 "2015-08-03T11:17:11Z")

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Honey bees are not, but there are plenty of others.

> [@](#):
>
> The Augochloropsis is one of 4,000 bee species native to the U.S.  
> [10 Spectacular Bees Native To The U.S.](http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-06/10-spectacular-native-bees)