Maine is the largest producer of wild blueberries in the world, wild
blueberries are grown on 44,000 acres. In 2015 around 83,000 hives came
into Maine to pollinate. The wild blueberry has a smaller flower so honey
bees can pollinate them. High bush blueberries have a larger flower so are
not often pollinated by honeybees. Some times bees in the Maine blueberry
barrens do need to be fed, the weather in early May isn't always good. Many
times there is a blueberry honey crop.
The talk is New Brunswick, Canada is planning to out do Maine. The
Department of Agriculture has plans to let growers use crown land in the
north for blueberry production. There is going to be a pollination problem
and work is now being done to come up with ways to make sure there are
enough bees in the Atlantic region to pollinate this expansion. One thing
they have done is start an Atlantic Tech Transfer Team for Apiculture
(ATTTA) in Atlantic Canada. There is plans for education and possibly
spurring interest to increase beekeepers throughout the region.

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