Effects of feral honey bees and wasps on honeydew

Exclosure experiments near Nelson show that feral honey bees (Apis mellifera) have a small effect on the number, size, and sugar concentration of honeydew drops. Bees give up feeding on honeydew during the late summer and autumn. when huge numbers of wasps appear. Exclosure experiments reveal a dramatic decrease in honeydew due to wasps feeding. The impacts of bees and wasps on South Island beech forests are discussed.