Keeping bees in their place: impacts of bees outside their native range

It is well known that introducing non-native organisms can have disastrous consequences, be they cane toads and prickly pear in Australia or grey squirrels and Himalayan balsam in the UK. Many countries now have strict quarantine controls to prevent further introductions. Yet we have something of a blind spot for bees. Because they are widely regarded as beneficial, bees of various species continue to be introduced outside their native range; only rarely and recently have serious objections been raised.