Honey bees, known for their domestication in hives, also exist in the wild as Apis mellifera

Honey bees, known for their domestication in hives, also exist in the wild as Apis mellifera. However, these wild populations are facing significant challenges. A recent study indicates that within the EU, they are expected to decline by approximately 56% over the next decade, leading to their classification as endangered on the IUCN Red List. Benjamin Rutschmann from Agroscope in Zurich notes that Europe has the lowest density of wild honey bee colonies compared to the rest of the world.