True, though I understand not all bumble bees are guilty. Short tongued bumble bees are the problem - bombus terrestris here locally I think mainly.
My husband manages a commercial blueberry block and where the bumbles get in first, the flowers are not pollinated as they bypass the working parts by chewing through the side of the flower, and our honey bees then follow the easy route to the nectar as well.
They've not gone to the extent of trying to remove the bumble bees from the area, although I would suspect they are overwhelmed and their numbers possibly somewhat suppressed by the number of our bee hives on this property.
regards
Deanna Corbett
Dee's Bees
Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
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