On Tue, 20 Jun 1995, Paul van Westendorp 576-5600 Fax: 576-5652 wrote:
>     We have a sizable cranberry industry in the Fraser Valley (British Columbia)
>     where quite a bit of research and resources have been committed over the
>     years to examine the issue of pollination.  As many know, Mark Winston of
>     SFU (with Keith Slessor) identified and developed the QMP product to enhance
>     honeybee pollination in cranberry.
>     Kenna MacKenzie's work on the east coast is valuable, and there is no doubt
>     that bumblebees are much better pollinators of bog plants, including
>     cranberry and blueberry.  You are quite correct that the bumbles have
>     evolved over millions of years in bog environments and are the most
>     effective pollinators.  But only so as individual pollinator.
>     In monocultural settings as cranberry (and blueberry) is grown today, it is
>     the shortage in numbers of pollinating insects that is the limiting
>     factor.  Bumblebee nests may be comprised of a few dozen individuals while a
>     cranberry field has millions of flowers.  Considering the current prices for
>     commercially available bumble bee nests,  I question the economics of their
>     use in a field setting.  (Greenhouses is a different matter).  Perhaps,
>     simple enhancement of nesting habitat would be more cost-effective.
 
This and other bumble bee letters of the past prompt me to ask:  can one
attract bumble bees or encourage a greater density of colonies by
building bee houses, or by other device or manipulation?  I have seen
where mammaliologists have built bat houses to attract bats, such as at
the University of Florida.  Does that strategy work for B-bees, and if
so, what would such a structure look like? Got plans?  Just curious...
 
Terry Yawn                          voice phone (904) 335-3930
Theron A. Yawn III, Esq.            SFCC Office A-07  395-5031
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