On Mon, 10 Aug 1998, Nick Shilliff wrote:
 
> Also,RE highbush blueberry pollination.We have had mixed results
> effectively pollinating blueberries over the past few years.last year the
> bees worked the dandelions across from the blueberries while there were
> hundreds/thousands of bumblebees working the blueberries resulting in a
> bumper crop.this year we did not put honeybees in the blueberries and
> there were not many bumblebees pollinating,resulting in a poor crop.Is
> there any  reason that the beehives would draw in the bumblebees?
 
I doubt that the colonies or honey bees would draw in the Bombus.
 
Bombus buzz pollinates the blueberry flower by shivering it's flight
muscles. This vibration oepns the anthers which are joined together,
 releasing the pollen.  Bee for bee, Bombus is more efficient,
but there are three types of blueberry, each could be different to some
extent. Highbush, Rabbiteye, and Lowbush.  I have experience with
Rabbiteye and rely on others for details on the other two.
 
In rabbiteye blueberry, the tongue of the honey bee is
too short to get the nectar from the flower which looks like an
upside-down bell, being male first with anthers inside the "bell" and
female later with the pistil poking through the mouth of the flower like
the dauber of a bell.  Bombus has a longer tongue and doesn't
have a problem getting the nectar.
 
In high bush berries the flower is larger and I've been
told that honey bees can go inside, but if bumble bees also visit, more
pollen will be released and honey bees and bumble bees can move it around.
 
For Lowbush, I heard an excellent presentation by Tony Jadzak about
pollination of berries in Maine using honey bees.
 
What I suggest you have seen is the effect of varying numbers of
pollinators.  In some years bumble bees are very abundant and are
responsible for part of the pollination of a crop. Other years there are
fewer Bombus and not enough to reliably pollinate a large acreage crop.
I recommend using honey bees every year because other pollinators,
although efficient bee for bee, may not be numerous enough to be
economical.
 
My nickels worth, grins, John
 
>
John A. Skinner           218 Ellington Hall
Extension Apiculturist    University of Tennessee
[log in to unmask]          Knoxville, TN  37901   (423)974-7138