In recent decades, research worldwide has shown a decline in pollinator populations due to various harmful factors. In 2020, we conducted a pilot monitoring of wild bees at the National Institute of Biology across five areas in Slovenia: Ljubljana marshes, lake Cerknica, Celje basin, the Carniola region, and city Ljubljana. In each area, we set up traps at ten locations, specifically using blue, yellow, and white pan traps, as well as blue and yellow cross vane traps. The highest number of bees was caught at lake Cerknica, while the lowest was at Ljubljana marshes. Lake Cerknica also had the highest species diversity, while the lowest was recorded in the Carniola region and the basin Celje basin, areas characterized by more intensive agriculture. Fluorescent traps proved to be more effective in monitoring, particularly the yellow ones, where the differences were statistically significant. The blue cross vane trap caught the most bees overall. Most bumblebees were caught in this trap, while solitary bees were largely captured in the pan traps. The flowering of vegetation around the traps did affect the number of individuals caught. The obtained results are crucial for establishing regular monitoring of wild bees in Slovenia.
|
