Wild bees can serve as effective pollinators

Washington, March 25 (ANI): A new study has determined that wild bees, which are not affected by a disease that has hurt honey bee populations, can serve as effective pollinators.

Over the past few years, honey bee keepers have experienced problems due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), which has hurt honey bee populations, causing some growers of fruits, nuts and vegetables to wonder how their crops will be pollinated in the future.

Now, a new study by Julianna K. Tuell and Rufus Isaacs from Michigan State University, and, John S. Ascher from the American Museum of Natural History, has shown that wild bees, which are not affected by CCD, may serve as a pollination alternative.

The three-year study took place on 15 southwestern Michigan blueberry farms.

Using traps and direct observation, the researchers identified 166 bee species, 112 of which were active during the blueberry blooming period.

Many of these species visit more flowers per minute and deposit more pollen per visit than honey bees, and most of them are potential blueberry pollinators.

"This should help growers know what kinds of bees are in the fields so that they can make informed decisions about whether they should modify crop management practices in order to help conserve natural populations of bees," said Dr. Tuell.

Unlike honey bees, which live together in hives, most of the bees found by the research team were solitary bees that nest in the soil or in wood cavities.

While soil-nesting bees may be difficult to manage, the researchers see potential for cavity-nesting bees, such as several species of mason bees, to be managed by growers who can support their populations by providing nesting materials.

"Untreated bamboo or reeds are good materials because they provide natural variation in hole diameter to attract the broadest range of species," said Dr. Tuell.

"There are also a number of commercially manufactured options that growers can use, such as foam blocks with pre-drilled holes and cardboard tubes made to a particular diameter to suit a particular species of interest. Drilling different sized holes in wood is another option." she added.

Besides blueberries, many of the species in this study also visit cherries, apples, and cranberries, and managed mason bees are already being used to pollinate cherry orchards. (ANI)