Does Pathogen Spillover from Commercially Reared Bumble Bees Threaten Wild Pollinators?
Figure 1
Predicted long-term dynamics of pathogen spillover into wild bumble bee populations near greenhouses.
Prevalence curves were generated through numerical simulation of our diffusion model [equations (1)–(3)] using the parameter estimates given in Table 2. This figure illustrates a slow build-up of pathogenic C. bombi in the wild population (t = 2 wks to t = 13 wks; traces for weeks 3–12 omitted for clarity) followed by a large, rapidly forming, wave front of infection (t = 13 wks to t = 18 wks) that travels away from the greenhouse at approximately 2 km per week.