Many bee health surveys highlight the importance of pathogen dynamics during pollination events. However, we know very little about the existence of pathogens in solitary bees. As the demand for pollination services increases, it is crucial to understand pathogen dynamics in native solitary bees. The genus Osmia contains a group of native solitary bee species that has become increasingly used in orchard pollination. We chose the blue orchard bee, Osmia lignaria Say, as the primary bee species for our investigation. We collected Osmia lignaria nests from four unmanaged areas in northeastern Utah. The proportion of dead individuals, regardless of species, at each site intrigued us to investigate potential causes of death, primarily pathogens. We propose using a molecular diagnostic survey to screen for pathogens from naturally occurring native bee nests. Understanding what pathogens may be present in natural populations could pose a new concern regarding nest transfers or solitary bee propagation during pollination events.
