" 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/ [log in to unmask] **************************************************** * General Information About BEE-L is available at: * * http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/default.htm * ****************************************************