Blueberry Bee

[SystemShark]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habropoda_laboriosa

I started doing some research on blueberry plants today, since I started thinking about keeping bees I also decided that I wanted to have plants that my bees could use; and I decided on blueberries.

In reading about the plants today I found that there is a specific kind of blueberry plant, the Rabbiteye, that requires "buzz-polination" and that there was a specific bee species that was really good at it.

Anyone know about these guys? I didn't find much on google and wiki was lacking too. I'm thinking the standard honey bee species would do alright for the blueberries but these guys are just better equiped to do it efficently. My hope is to have a good balance of blueberries and bees =))

If anyone grows blueberries and has some experience with them and with their bees let me know. Thanks!

[Keith13]

To answer your question yes it is probably the "standard" honeybee. But just so you know if you plant 25-50 bushes and there is a field of wildflowers and weeds near by the bees will probably skip your bushes or at least not concentrate on them I have found they almost always focus on the most abundant sources available but that’s not to say don’t plant it just means don't get your hopes to high.

[deejaycee]

Know nothing about that particular species of bee, but we got into bees specifically because my husband is a blueberry grower.   we were looking for something to do together for ourselves... and he had just hired in hives to pollinate the blueberries where he works.

Long and the short - plain old Apis Mellifera will do just fine pollinating blueberries, including rabbiteye species.

The property my husband works on is an organic produce property of a couple hundred hectares.   Being organic, the weed strips aren't sprayed so there is always plenty of alternate flowers around, not to mention other crops flowering, plus the neighbours properties.  The blueberries aren't under net, so the bees are free to travel far and wide.  yes, they'll visit other plants than the blueberries, but they certainly don't ignore them in favour of the others, and the blueberries receive very thorough pollination (just ask my husband's workers - who've all been stung a time or two this season).  I tend to look at the bees visiting other sources as them rounding out their diet - better fed bees, stronger, faster growing hives, better pollination.

[Dane Bramage]

I tend to look at the bees visiting other sources as them rounding out their diet - better fed bees, stronger, faster growing hives, better pollination.

Just wanted to comment on that last bit as it's a very valid point and probably something that is overlooked and/or not taken into proper consideration for many migratory beeks.  Mono-crop pollination = mono diet (usually) for the bees.  California almonds are one good example. Excellent nectar, not so good pollen.  Even if both pollen and nectar were good the lack of variety would still not be.  It would be interesting to see the varying mineral, enzymes, vitamins and other nutrients of the myriad forage plants bees partake. 

Cheers,
Dane

[watercarving]

There is a bee called the Southerneastern Blueberry Bee.

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The  southeastern blueberry bee (Habropoda laboriosa) is a solitary, ground-nesting bee (family Anthophoridae) that has proven to be an especially effective pollinator of both highbush and rabbiteye blueberries (Cane and Payne 1988). It is a native species whose range extends along the eastern seaboard from southern Pennsylvania to northern Florida. There is only one generation per year. Populations are most active near the peak of highbush bloom and forage for only a few weeks in the spring. Little is known about the nesting habits of these bees, but care should be taken to preserve wild habitat around the edges of commercial blueberry fields.
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Rumor has it that honey bees can, and will, pollinate blueberries but that the SeBB is way better at it.

[SystemShark]

THANKS for all the reply's. I didn't know the SeBB was an underground nester (like the bumble bee I guess). So that won't work because I wanna do honey bees for all the great things they produce. Something I've noticed about Western PA (where my bees will eventually be) is I don't see that many flowers ^^ Its still early into spring, but yesterday was the first time I saw bees on somee very tiny white flowering bush. Even the weeds don't seem to be flowering! I'm guessing its because of the extended winter weather but I'm worried that when I finally do get bees there won't be plants for them to use.. so thats why I wanted to go with blueberries.

Thanks again for the reply's. From the USDA site my 'zone' is a 6 so thats at the max coldness for those rabbit eye blueberries. Maybe Deejay has a better variety of blueberry plant to suggest for my location and for my future bees? =)

[watercarving]

I got blueberries since I will have bees. They will do the job. Just because they might prefer other flowers and concentrate on them doesn't mean they will totally ignore your blueberries.

[Brian D. Bray]

I got blueberries since I will have bees. They will do the job. Just because they might prefer other flowers and concentrate on them doesn't mean they will totally ignore your blueberries.

True, even if there is a heavy flow of something else chances are a few bees from each hive will work the Blueberries for the pollen variety if for no other reason.