Fires don't affect all bees the same way

Fire can look like the end of everything. Yet, in many places, it marks a new beginning. Plants grow again, animals return, and the air fills with the buzz of bees.

But not every bee finds opportunity in the ashes. Some thrive after a blaze, others disappear.

A new study from Curtin University shows how deeply fire shapes bee life – and how unpredictable that relationship can be.

How fires affect bees

Dr. Kit Prendergast and her team at Curtin’s School of Molecular and Life Sciences reviewed 148 studies worldwide. The goal was to investigate how fires – from short, controlled burns to massive wildfires – affect bees.

The researchers looked at fire intensity, how often fires happen, and how long they last. They also compared bee traits like nesting style, diet, body size, and social behavior.

The conclusion was clear: fire helps some bees and harms others. No single pattern fits all. Each ecosystem tells a different story depending on how the fire burns and what kind of bees live there.

Which bees survive fires

“We found that ground-nesting bees and those that feed on many different plants often flourished in the open, sunny conditions that follow a fire,” said Dr. Prendergast.

“But bees that nest in little pre-made holes in trees or those that rely on just a few plant species for food were far more vulnerable, as fires can destroy their nesting sites and the plants they depend on.”

Some bees rebound quickly after a fire. They take advantage of new flowers and open soil. Others lose everything – nests, food, and safe spots to rest. The difference often depends on where the bees live and what they eat.

Fire’s changing character

Fire patterns are shifting. Climate change and land use have made burns more frequent and severe.

Australia, North America, and parts of Europe now experience longer fire seasons. Each fire reshapes the land differently, changing what resources bees can find afterward.

In some cases, moderate fires open up space and spark plant growth. Intense fires, though, can strip away soil nutrients, burn tree hollows, and leave the ground bare for years.

Fires that hit during nesting or breeding seasons cause more damage than those that occur during dormant months. Timing matters as much as intensity.

Built for heat or hurt

Bee survival depends on physical traits as much as fire behavior. Ground-nesting bees often stay protected below the surface.

Tree-cavity bees, however, lose both their homes and nearby plants when flames climb. Generalist feeders – those that visit many flower types – recover faster than specialists tied to a few plants.

Even size plays a role. Smaller bees adapt better to post-fire landscapes. They need fewer resources and can forage in patchy habitats. Larger species struggle when food is scarce or distances between flowers increase.

Australia’s missing data

“Despite Australia being home to a rich diversity of native bees and some of the world’s most fire-affected landscapes, there is a lack of research into how our unique native bees cope with fire,” noted Dr. Prendergast.

Most global data still come from North America and Europe. Yet, Australia’s bees evolved under entirely different fire regimes. Many native plants even rely on fire to bloom or seed.

Understanding how these ecosystems work together could help scientists protect both plants and pollinators.

Patterns of recovery

The study revealed that families like Halictidae often benefit from fire. These bees are flexible, social, and able to nest in varied habitats. Others, such as Andrenidae and Colletidae, decline sharply after burns. Some vanish completely.

“Overall, our findings show that bee responses to fire are highly varied, with some species benefiting, while others decline or disappear altogether,” said Dr. Prendergast.

The results make one thing clear – there is no universal rule. Fire may help one species thrive while erasing another from the same landscape.

Smarter fire management

Professor Bill Bateman pointed out that managing fires requires a case-by-case approach. “This review shows there is no one-size-fits-all approach, with fire proving to be beneficial for some bees and catastrophic for others,” he said.

“To preserve bee diversity, land managers need to think beyond hazard reduction and consider strategies such as leaving unburnt refuges, maintaining habitat connectivity and using a mosaic of burn types across the landscape.”

Leaving untouched areas helps species recover. Mosaic burns – fires of different sizes and intensities—allow more bees to find suitable habitats across time.

Fire doesn’t always mean flowers

Many expect bee numbers to rise when flowers bloom after fire. The study showed that’s not always true. Flower diversity can increase, yet bees might still struggle.

Nesting materials, soil texture, and shade also affect population recovery. When fire changes these subtle factors, bees can lose the foundation of their survival.

For instance, scorched soil can harden, making it difficult for bees to dig nests. Loss of dead wood removes shelter for tree-dwelling species. These details often decide whether a population rebounds or collapses.

Protecting bees from fires

As fires grow stronger under a warming climate, understanding these relationships becomes urgent. Bees keep ecosystems running by pollinating crops and wild plants. Protecting them means planning fires that consider life above and below the soil.

Dr. Prendergast’s review reminds us that fire management isn’t just about reducing hazards – it’s about shaping survival.

Bees can live with fire, but only if landscapes give them a chance. In a world that burns more each year, that balance could decide the future of pollination itself.

The study is published in the journal Biological Reviews.

Image Credit: Kit Prendergast

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