|
|
Pollination
|
Introduction to Pollination | |
Bumblebees have now been used for more than 18 years for the pollination of different protected crops. There are many advantages to using bumblebees for pollination: they are more efficient pollinators than honeybees, they increase the fruit quality and yield of many different crops and are labour saving compared to manual pollination or the use of hormones.
| .JPG)
| | | |
Biology | | The biology of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) is quite different when compared to honeybees. Bumblebees have a yearly cycle, the colony dies out in autumn and only the young fertilised queens hibernate in the soil. This hibernation takes several months depending on the climate. In spring the queen leaves the hibernation site and starts foraging for food (pollen and nectar). She then looks for a suitable location to start a new colony, where she lays the first cluster of eggs. The eggs develop into larvae and later into pupae and the first workers. At the beginning the queen does all the work; gathering food, feeding the larvae, cleaning the nest…, but as soon as the first workers are born the queen no longer leaves the nest. The colony keeps on developing during the summer and the amount of workers can reach 150 or more. The last offspring of the original queen are new young queens and drones (males). From this time onwards the activity of the colony decreases and the old queen dies. The young queens mate and the cycle starts again. | 
Bumblebee on Tomato
Bumblebee on Strawberry
| | | |
Pollination | | Bumblebees need pollen and nectar to feed the queen and the larvae. By collecting the pollen and nectar the bumblebees pollinate the flowers they are visiting. In some crops such as tomatoes there is no nectar in the flowers, to replace this nectar a sugar solution is provided in the hive. Bumblebees work at lower temperatures and at lower light intensities compared to honeybees. Bumblebees can produce vibrations on flowers, which is important for the pollination of tomato and aubergine flowers. After visiting tomato flowers bumblebees leave a small bite mark, which makes it easy to check their activity. | 
| | | |
Crops
|
Bumblebees can be used on a variety of crops: tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, strawberries, raspberries, melons, courgettes, small fruit …
| | |
The Hive
| | 1. Normal flight opening (in and out).
2. Flight opening through which bumblebees can only enter
3. Plastic nest box.
4. Cardboard cover with lid that can be opened.
5. Wick that absorbs the sugar solution (feeding place for the bumblebees)
6. Feeding level, visible from the outside.
7. Sugar solution
8. The hive compartment with brood. | 
|
BCP has 3 different types of hive available:
| |
BEESURE 1: Standard hive with dominant queen, 50 – 60 workers and a brood in full development. This hive has an activity of 6 – 8 weeks and can pollinate an area of up to 1000 – 3000 m² depending on the crop and the season.
BEESURE 2: Medium hive with queen, 60 – 80 workers and a developing brood (presence of male or new queens or pupae of them is possible). This hive has an activity of 5 – 6 weeks and can pollinate an area of about 1000 – 1500 m² depending on the crop and the season. BEESURE 3: Mini hive with a minimum of 30 workers and some brood. This hive has an activity of 3 – 4 weeks and is used for smaller areas (500 m²) | 
| | | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|