In the farms we pollinate blueberries we place honey bees and bumble bees
boxes. 6 honey bee hives + 3 bumble bee boxes (Kopert type) pero hectare of
full productive plants (after year 5).

In paralel, we have develop a calendar to control mouse / rats that allows
the bumblee queens to find suitable location for nesting next spring. With
this methods, after a couple of year we have manage to "naturalize" the
bumble bees. The idea is that rats/mouse "work for the bumbles".

Yes those comertial bumble bee boxes ends their season releasing some 20 to
50 queens. The queens that mate past the winter alone and start a new
colony next spring.

This season was the first one were we left one of the location without
bumble bee boxes. As per visual observation there were enough "naturalized"
bumble bees (queens?) polinating. We will know for sure by february when I
can get hold of the blueberry harvest figures and compare locations.

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