"  Bumblebees are definitely far better blueberry pollinators than
honeybees, but are they forty times better?"

Stan,

I think they are 15 times better only and that you miss the point. Bumbles
and Bees should be look as a pollination couple, despite the numerical
number of worker in each colony or the specific efectivity of each insect in
pollinating blueberries.

At what time of the day are the flower receptive to pollination? Are there
going to be good weather for flying or too cold for bees or too hot for
bumbles?. Is the variety selfcompatible or not? Are we going to have to much
competing flora around this year and which insect will react more?

I see pollination service as the art of insect exceed the flower offer for a
given and specific area, as a saturation act for an instant each year.

The total volume will be made by the couple, bees putting the base while
bumbles putting the size.

If the sping is good, you end up with lots of good quality frut, if the
weather is bad then you get some fruit of a regular quality with some
premiums. But always get a base.

We use 6 beehive plus 3 bumble hive per hectarea for blueberries in southern
chile. The blueberry grower takes in great consideration to preserve the
local environment because he has seen the naturalization of bumble
population after years if using b-boxes.



-- 
Juanse Barros J.
APIZUR S.A.
Carrera 695
Gorbea - CHILE
+56-45-271693
08-3613310
http://apiaraucania.blogspot.com/
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