Bumble bees influence berry size in commercial Vaccinium spp. cultivation in British Columbia

2008 ◽  
Vol 140 (3) ◽  
pp. 348-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia M. Ratti ◽  
Heather A. Higo ◽  
Terry L. Griswold ◽  
Mark L. Winston
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Wild Bee ◽  
Berry Size ◽  
Dispersion Patterns ◽  
Potential Alternative ◽  
Fraser Valley

AbstractWe studied the abundance, diversity, and dispersion patterns of managed and wild bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) populations in commercial highbush blueberry and cranberry (Ericaceae: Vaccinium corymbosum L., Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait.) fields in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, and assessed their potential as pollinators of these crops by determining which groups of bees had the greatest impact on percent yield and mass of berries. Bumble bees were evenly distributed within both crops. Other wild bee species were well distributed in blueberry fields but generally remained at edges of cranberry fields. Percent berry yield was not related to bee abundance for any group of bees, nor was species diversity correlated with berry mass. Blueberry mass and cranberry mass were related to abundance of bumble bees but not to that of honey bees or other wild bees. Bumble bees are recommended as potential alternative pollinators of these crops.

scholarly journals Reduced nest development of reared Bombus terrestris within apiary dense human-modified landscapes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ivan Meeus ◽  
Laurian Parmentier ◽  
Matti Pisman ◽  
Dirk C. de Graaf ◽  
Guy Smagghe
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Bombus Terrestris ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Wild Bee ◽  
Important Trait ◽  
Competition For Resources ◽  
Biomass Increase

AbstractWild bees are in decline on a local to global scale. The presence of managed honey bees can lead to competition for resources with wild bee species, which has not been investigated so far for human-modified landscapes. In this study we assess if managed honey bee hive density influence nest development (biomass) of bumble bees, an important trait affecting fitness. We hypothesize that domesticated honey bees can negatively affect Bombus terrestris nest development in human-modified landscapes. In Flanders, Belgium, where such landscapes are dominantly present, we selected 11 locations with landscape metrics ranging from urban to agricultural. The bee hive locations were mapped and each location contained one apiary dense (AD) and one apiary sparse (AS) study site (mean density of 7.6 ± 5.7 managed honey bee hives per km2 in AD sites). We assessed the effect of apiary density on the reproduction of reared B. terrestris nests. Reared B. terrestris nests had more biomass increase over 8 weeks in apiary sparse (AS) sites compared to nests located in apiary dense (AD) sites. This effect was mainly visible in urban locations, where nest in AS sites have 99.25 ± 60.99 g more biomass increase compared to nest in urban AD sites. Additionally, we found that managed bumble bee nests had higher biomass increase in urban locations. We conclude that the density of bee hives is a factor to consider in regard to interspecific competition between domesticated honey bees and bumble bees.

scholarly journals Analysis of Pollination Services Provided by Wild and Managed Bees (Apoidea) in Wild Blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton) Production in Maine, USA, with a Literature Review

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1413
Author(s):  
Sara L. Bushmann ◽  
Francis A. Drummond
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Vaccinium Angustifolium ◽  
Wild Bee ◽  
Bee Communities ◽  
Wild Blueberry

Maine is the largest producer of wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Aiton) in the United States. Pollination comes from combinations of honey bees (Apis mellifera (L.)), commercial bumble bees (Bombus impatiens Cresson), and wild bees. This study addresses (1) previous research addressing wild-blueberry pollination, (2) effects of wild-bee and honey-bee activity densities on fruit set, yield, and crop value, (3) the economic value of wild-bee communities, and (4) economic consequences of pollinator loss. Bee communities were sampled in 40 fields over three years (2010–2012) and bee activity densities were estimated for bumble bees, honey bees, and other wild bees. These data were applied to an economic model to estimate the value of bee taxa. Bumble bees and honey bees predicted fruit set and reduced its spatial heterogeneity. Other wild bees were not significant predictors of fruit set. Yield was predicted by fruit set and field size, but not pest management tactics. Our analysis showed that disruption in supply of honey bees would result in nearly a 30% decrease in crop yield, buffered in part by wild bees that provide “background” levels of pollination. Honey-bee stocking density and, thus, the activity density of honey bees was greater in larger fields, but not for wild bees. Therefore, a decrease in crop yield would be greater than 30% for large fields due to the proportionally greater investment in honey bees in large fields and a relatively lower contribution by wild bees.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Selected Ornamental Asteraceae as a Pollen Source for Urban Bees

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Wróblewska ◽  
Ernest Stawiarz ◽  
Marzena Masierowska
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Tagetes Patula ◽  
Single Plant ◽  
Calendula Officinalis ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Se Poland ◽  
Urban Conditions

Abstract Offering more floral resources for urban bees can be achieved by growing ornamental bee plants. The aim of the present study was to evaluate selected Asteraceae (Calendula officinalis ‘Persimmon Beauty’ and ‘Santana’, Centaurea macrocephala, Cosmos sulphureus, Dahlia pinnata, Tagetes patula, Tithonia rotundifolia, and Zinnia elegans) as pollen sources for pollinators. Under urban conditions in Lublin, SE Poland, the investigated plants flowered from late June to the end of October. The mass of pollen produced in florets and capitula was found to be species-related. The highest pollen amounts per 10 florets (10.1 mg) as well as per capitulum (249.7 mg) were found for C. macrocephala. The mass of pollen yielded by a single plant depended on both the pollen mass delivered per disk florets and the proportion of disk florets in capitulum, and the flowering abundance of the plants. A single plant of D. pinnata and a single plant of T. rotundifolia each produced the largest pollen mass. Mean pollen yield per 1m2 of a plot ranged from 6.2 g (Z. elegans) to 60.7 g (D. pinnata). Pollen grains are tricolporate, with echinate exine, medium or small in size. They can be categorised as oblatespherical, spherical, and prolatespherical. The principal visitors to C. macrocephala, C. sulphureus, and C. officinalis were honey bees, whereas bumble bees dominated on T. rotundifolia and D. pinnata. A magnet plant for butterflies was Z. elegans. Among the investigated species, D. pinnata, C. macrocephala, and T. rotundifolia were found to be the most valuable sources of pollen flow for managed and wild bees.

scholarly journals Age-related Changes in Response of Highbush Blueberry Plants to Drip Irrigation

HortScience ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 486-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
David L. Ehret ◽  
Brenda Frey ◽  
Tom Forge ◽  
Tom Helmer ◽  
David R. Bryla
Keyword(s):  
Drip Irrigation ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Growth Yield ◽  
Plant Size ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Berry Size ◽  
Added Benefit ◽  
Fraser Valley

A study was conducted in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada, to determine the effects of drip configuration (one or two lines with emitters spaced every 0.3 or 0.45 m) and irrigation at moderate or heavy rates (5 or 10 L/plant) in a mature planting of ‘Duke’ highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.). Results were compared with those published previously from the first 4 years after planting. Although plant size increased with irrigation rate when the plants were younger, there was no added benefit of heavy irrigation on growth in the older plants. However, the plants became more sensitive to soil water deficits with age and, therefore, unlike when they were younger, had greater yields when more water was applied. Berry size and fruit firmness were little affected by irrigation in the older plants, but antioxidants, measured as oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), were higher with than without irrigation, suggesting that irrigation has the potential to improve the health benefits of blueberries. Growth, yield, and fruit quality were unaffected by drip configuration in any year. Overall, the results revealed that the response of highbush blueberry to drip irrigation changed over time and indicated that irrigation management should be adjusted as a planting matures.

scholarly journals Within-Colony Transmission of Microsporidian and Trypanosomatid Parasites in Honey Bee and Bumble Bee Colonies

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 1393-1401
Author(s):  
Mario S Pinilla-Gallego ◽  
Emma E Williams ◽  
Abby Davis ◽  
Jacquelyn L Fitzgerald ◽  
Scott H McArt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Parasite Prevalence ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Population Declines ◽  
Intensity Of Infection ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Social Bees ◽  
Pollinator Community

Abstract Parasites are commonly cited as one of the causes of population declines for both managed and wild bees. Epidemiological models sometimes assume that increasing the proportion of infected individuals in a group should increase transmission. However, social insects exhibit behaviors and traits which can dampen the link between parasite pressure and disease spread. Understanding patterns of parasite transmission within colonies of social bees has important implications for how to control diseases within those colonies, and potentially the broader pollinator community. We used bumble bees (Bombus impatiens Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and western honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) (Hymenoptera: Apidae) infected with the gut parasites Crithidia bombi (Lipa & Triggiani) (Trypanosomatida: Trypanosomatidae) and Nosema ceranae (Fries et al.) (Dissociodihaplophasida: Nosematidae), respectively, to understand how the initial proportion of infected individuals impacts within-colony spread and intensity of infection of the parasites. In bumble bees, we found that higher initial parasite prevalence increased both the final prevalence and intensity of infection of C. bombi. In honey bees, higher initial prevalence increased the intensity of infection in individual bees, but not the final prevalence of N. ceranae. Measures that reduce the probability of workers bringing parasites back to the nest may have implications for how to control transmission and/or severity of infection and disease outbreaks, which could also have important consequences for controlling disease spread back into the broader bee community.

scholarly journals Possible Spillover of Pathogens between Bee Communities Foraging on the Same Floral Resource

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 122
Author(s):  
Anne Dalmon ◽  
Virgine Diévart ◽  
Maxime Thomasson ◽  
Romain Fouque ◽  
Bernard E. Vaissière ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Population Decline ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
Wild Bee ◽  
Pollinator Community ◽  
Floral Resource ◽  
Paralysis Virus

Viruses are known to contribute to bee population decline. Possible spillover is suspected from the co-occurrence of viruses in wild bees and honey bees. In order to study the risk of virus transmission between wild and managed bee species sharing the same floral resource, we tried to maximize the possible cross-infections using Phacelia tanacetifolia, which is highly attractive to honey bees and a broad range of wild bee species. Virus prevalence was compared over two years in Southern France. A total of 1137 wild bees from 29 wild bee species (based on COI barcoding) and 920 honey bees (Apis mellifera) were checked for the seven most common honey bee RNA viruses. Halictid bees were the most abundant. Co-infections were frequent, and Sacbrood virus (SBV), Black queen cell virus (BQCV), Acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV) and Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV) were widespread in the hymenopteran pollinator community. Conversely, Deformed wing virus (DWV) was detected at low levels in wild bees, whereas it was highly prevalent in honey bees (78.3% of the samples). Both wild bee and honey bee virus isolates were sequenced to look for possible host-specificity or geographical structuring. ABPV phylogeny suggested a specific cluster for Eucera bees, while isolates of DWV from bumble bees (Bombus spp.) clustered together with honey bee isolates, suggesting a possible spillover.

scholarly journals Evaluating Hornfaced Bees (Osmia cornifrons) as Pollinators of Highbush Blueberry

HortScience ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 1012D-1012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd P. West ◽  
Thomas W. McCutcheon
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
The United States ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
The Other ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Ripe Fruit ◽  
Mature Field ◽  
Production Areas ◽  
Better Than

The objective of this study was to investigate the use of hornfaced bees (Osmia cornifrons Radoszkowski) as a successful sustainable alternative for pollination of commercial highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.). The hornfaced bee is native to Japan and introduced to the United States in 1977 by the USDA. Hornfaced bees have been shown to be 300× more efficient in pollinating apples than honey bees. Hornfaced bees are active for 4–6 weeks (April to June), and then the adults die. The rest of the year (10 months), dormant hornfaced bees exist inside nest cells located in cardboard straws stored away from berry production areas. Currently, there are no reports on hornfaced bee use available for blueberry farmers. Five pollinator treatments were compared in 2005 including: hornedfaced bees; honey bees; bumble bees; natural pollinators; and no pollinators. Enclosed pollination cages were constructed around mature field-grown highbush blueberry plants to prevent mixing of pollinator treatments. Each cage contained a single pollinator treatment except for the natural pollinator treatment. The five pollinator treatments were replicated three times inside separate netted cages on the farm. Three branches per plant were randomly selected that had a minimum of five fruiting buds and blossom number recorded. After pollination occurred the cages were removed to allow the berries to ripen. Ripe fruit were picked weekly over the season (July to August), with the fruit from each sample being counted and weighed. Blossom number was compared to fruit number and weight to determine efficiency of pollination as a result of the pollinator treatments. The results showed that hornfaced bees pollinated blueberries as well as or better than the other pollinators.

scholarly journals A56 Visualization of recombination in deformed wing virus infecting bees

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane Bigot ◽  
Andreas Gogol-Döring ◽  
Peter Koch ◽  
Robert J Paxton
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Bumble Bees ◽  
Next Generation Sequencing Data ◽  
Sequencing Data ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Deformed Wing Virus ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Detection And Quantification

Abstract Honey bees suffer increasing colony mortality worldwide, partially caused by the spread of viral pathogens. Among these pathogens, deformed wing virus (DWV) is one of the major, widespread viruses of honey bees resulting in wing deformities and weakening colonies. DWV can be found in honey bees, bumble bees, and other wild bees as three major genotypes named DWV-A, -B (also named Varroa destructor virus 1), and -C. Various recombinants of DWV-A and -B have been previously found in honey bees, some of which have been suggested to have higher virulence over non-recombinant, parental virus. In most of these cases, recombinants were only shown as consensus sequences from previous assemblies and alignments and may not reflect the biological reality of all variants present within a host bee. It is therefore important to build a method of recombinant detection and quantification within mixed infections in single-host individuals, including both parental and various recombinant genomes, so as to evaluate the relevance of recombinants for viral genome evolution and the impact on hosts. Here, we propose to visualize and quantify these recombinants using next-generation sequencing data to better understand how these genomes evolve within bees. Our method will be performed directly from raw sequence reads from various datasets (including field and lab experiments as well as screening of public databases) in order to obtain an overview of DWV recombination in various in vivo and in vitro conditions. Recombination of viral genomes is a key point for virus evolution. The detection and quantification of recombination will facilitate analysis of the determinants of recombination and help in understanding the routes by which new viral variants emerge. The emergence of new (more virulent) recombinant viruses can result from acquisition of new capabilities, such as escape from host immunity or increased transmission rates. Recombination can also lead to adaptation to new environments and new hosts by a change in cell tropism, allowing cross-species transmission, which may be particularly relevant for bumble bees and wild bees infected by honey bee-derived DWV.

scholarly journals Increasing Honey Bee Hive Densities Promotes Pollination and Yield Components of Highbush Blueberry in Western Washington

HortScience ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-194
Author(s):  
Matthew Arrington ◽  
Lisa Wasko DeVetter
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Yield Components ◽  
Fruit Set ◽  
Vaccinium Corymbosum ◽  
Highbush Blueberry ◽  
Seed Number ◽  
Berry Weight ◽  
Berry Size ◽  
Western Washington

Yield components including fruit set and berry size in northern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) can be limited in key production regions like western Washington. Climactic conditions influence the activity levels of blueberry’s primary commercial pollinator, honey bee (Apis mellifera). Cool springs with frequent rainfall, which are common during the spring bloom period in western Washington, can reduce honey bee activity, pollination efficiency, and subsequent fruit set and yields. Increasing honey bee hive density may be a simple technique that growers can employ to increase the number of honey bees foraging during periods of good weather, interspersed with the poor weather, and therefore, increase fruit set and related yield components. The objective of this study was to evaluate if increased honey bee hive densities improve pollination and subsequent yield components in western Washington blueberry. Three field sites with mature ‘Duke’ plants were stocked with 10 hives/ha of honey bees (control), and three other field sites (also ‘Duke’) were stocked with 20 hives/ha (high hive density). Honey bee visitation and yield components, including fruit set and berry weight, were measured. Estimated yield, seed number/berry, and fruit firmness were also monitored. There were no significant differences in fruit set regardless of honey bee hive density. However, honey bee visitation and estimated yield increased with increased honey bee hive density. Berry weight and seed number per berry were also increased with increased honey bee hive density, although firmness was unaffected. Results indicate that increasing honey bee hive densities can help blueberry growers improve berry size and overall yields, suggesting this is a practice growers can implement if their production is constrained by insufficient pollination.

scholarly journals Evaluating competition for forage plants between honey bees and wild bees in Denmark

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. e0250056
Author(s):  
Claus Rasmussen ◽  
Yoko L. Dupont ◽  
Henning Bang Madsen ◽  
Petr Bogusch ◽  
Dave Goulson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Niche Overlap ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Operational Parameters ◽  
Wild Bees ◽  
Forage Plants ◽  
Wild Bee

A recurrent concern in nature conservation is the potential competition for forage plants between wild bees and managed honey bees. Specifically, that the highly sophisticated system of recruitment and large perennial colonies of honey bees quickly exhaust forage resources leading to the local extirpation of wild bees. However, different species of bees show different preferences for forage plants. We here summarize known forage plants for honey bees and wild bee species at national scale in Denmark. Our focus is on floral resources shared by honey bees and wild bees, with an emphasis on both threatened wild bee species and foraging specialist species. Across all 292 known bee species from Denmark, a total of 410 plant genera were recorded as forage plants. These included 294 plant genera visited by honey bees and 292 plant genera visited by different species of wild bees. Honey bees and wild bees share 176 plant genera in Denmark. Comparing the pairwise niche overlap for individual bee species, no significant relationship was found between their overlap and forage specialization or conservation status. Network analysis of the bee-plant interactions placed honey bees aside from most other bee species, specifically the module containing the honey bee had fewer links to any other modules, while the remaining modules were more highly inter-connected. Despite the lack of predictive relationship from the pairwise niche overlap, data for individual species could be summarized. Consequently, we have identified a set of operational parameters that, based on a high foraging overlap (>70%) and unfavorable conservation status (Vulnerable+Endangered+Critically Endangered), can guide both conservation actions and land management decisions in proximity to known or suspected populations of these species.

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