THE ROLE OF BEES IN THE POLLINATION OF DECIDUOUS FRUITS 



F. R. Shaw 

 Department of Entomology 

 and Plant Pathology 



The principal insects of value in the pollination of fruit in New England 

 include honey bees, solitary bees and bumble bees. Honey bees overwinter as 

 colonies consisting of n queen plus many thousand workers. Solitary bees include 

 a great number of species. These pass the winter in the adult stage in sheltered 

 locations. In the spring, each female constructs her own nest, usually in the 

 soil, collects pollen and nectar, and lays an egg in each cell. True colonies 

 are not formed. Bumble bees, like solitary bees, hibernate. In the spring, the 

 fertilized females construct their nests, obtain food and rear young. These are 

 worker bumble bees. The workers help to enlarge the colony by gathering pollen 

 and nectar and tending to the young. 



Relative Importance of Different Kinds of Bees for Pollination 



1. Honey bees are the only pollinating insects that can be increased 

 in numbers and located where needed, from a practical viewpoint, 



2. Honey bees are less dependent on favorable weather for flight than 

 solitary bees. Bumble bees are superior in this respect. 



3. Honey bees are more constant to ^ single species of plant when 

 collecting nectar or pollen than are solitary bees or bumble bees. 

 Investigations in Canada have indicated that honey bees are 80 per 

 cent constant, solitary bees 55 - 70 per cent and bumble bees 



65 per cent. 



Characteristics of Colonies Most Suitable for Pollination 



1. Should be strong. It is suggested that there should be sufficient 

 bees to cover 5-6 frames as a minimum (determined by checking colony 

 when temperature is 60-65 F.) Such colonies should be sending 

 40-50 bees per minute at these temperatures unless rain, wind, 

 light or other factors are unfavorable. 



Farrar made comparison of flight rate of different types of colo- 

 nies during pollination period. A portion of his data is 

 reproduced below: 



Type of colony Temperature 90° F. Average No. bees 



Relative Humidity 507, flying per minute 



3 lb. package 15 



5 lb. package 50 



3.5 lb, overwintered colony 65 



7 lb. overwintered colony 128 



2o Colonies should be queen right. 



3. Colonies should be disease free. 



