THE ROLE OF BEES IN THE POLLINATION OF DECIDUOUS FRUITS 



F.R. Shaw - Department of Entomology 

 University of Massachusetts 



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 a queen plus many 

 thousands of workers. Only the queens of bumble bees survive the 

 winter and these hibernate. There are a great many species of 

 solitary bees. They may pass the winter as queens in hibernation 

 or in some species as the larva or immature form. In the spring 

 each female constructs her own nest, usually in the soil, collects 

 nectar and pollen and stores these materials in a cell. She then 

 lays an egg in each cell and no further care is given to the dev- 

 elop ingbee. 



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 a 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: 



Farrar made comparison of flight rate of different types 

 of colonies during pollination period. A portion of his 

 data is reproduced below: 



