The Alfalfa Leafcutting Bee, Megachile Rotundata Fabr.: An Alternative Managed Pollinator of Lowbush Blueberry

MacKenzie, K.; Rogers, Denise G.; Javorek, S. K.

doi:10.17660/actahortic.1997.446.11

Cited by 3 publications

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“…Much early research effort focused on exotic pollinator species such as the European honey bee, Apis mellifera (L.) [94][95][96]; the alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata Fabr. [13,14]; the fuzzy foot bee, Anthophora pallipes villosula Fourrée [97]; and the exotic mason bee, Osmia ribifloris biedermannii Michener [98] to augment pollination provided by wild pollinators. However, there has also been research on two native species with a focus on commercial pollination, the common eastern bumble bee, Bombus impatiens Cresson [15][16][17], and the Maine blueberry bee, Osmia atriventris Cresson [8,14].…”

Section: Appendix a Literature Review Of Wild-blueberry Reproductive Biology And Pollinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The stocking recommendation for commercial bumble bees in wild blueberry is 7-9 colonies (200 workers per colony)/hectare [16,17,103]. Alfalfa leafcutting bees are stocked at 20,000-50,000 bees/ha depending upon the fruit set desired [13,14,104]. The alfalfa leafcutting bee exhibits adult mortality below freezing air temperatures (<−5 • C) and, thus, higher stocking densities may be warranted in climates that frequently have frosts during wild-blueberry bloom [105].…”

Section: Appendix a Literature Review Of Wild-blueberry Reproductive Biology And Pollinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Honey bees (Apis mellifera (L.), which are not native to North America, were evaluated as pollinators in the 1950s-1980s [9] and are currently used by the majority of wild-blueberry farmers in the US and Canada despite many growers relying on wild bees for at least part of their pollination [10][11][12] (also see Appendix A). The commercially available common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens Cresson) and the alfalfa leafcutting bee (Megachile rotundata Fabr) also provide pollination that supplements that provided by wild bees [13][14][15][16][17]. Currently, in Maine, a substantial proportion of farmers employ these alternative commercial bees or simply rely on resident wild pollinators [10][11][12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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

Bushmann¹,

Drummond

2020

Agronomy

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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.

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Section: Appendix a Literature Review Of Wild-blueberry Reproductive Biology And Pollinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Appendix a Literature Review Of Wild-blueberry Reproductive Biology And Pollinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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

Bushmann¹,

Drummond

2020

Agronomy

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First New Jersey Record of the Red-Tailed Cuckoo Leaf-Cutter Bee (Coelioxys coturnix; Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)

Moskowitz¹,

Grossmueller

2022

Northeastern Naturalist

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Honey bee stocking numbers and wild blueberry production in Nova Scotia

Eaton

Nams

2012

Can. J. Plant Sci.

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Eaton, L. J. and Nams, V. O. 2012. Honey bee stocking numbers and wild blueberry production in Nova Scotia. Can. J. Plant Sci. 92: 1305–1310. Wild blueberries (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) require cross pollination by insects. Introduction of managed species such as honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) and alfalfa leafcutting bees (Megachile rotundata Fabr.) is costly. We assessed the effects of stocking rates of honey bee hives and the interacting effects of the numbers of honey bees and other bees on yield of blueberries in commercial fields. Blueberry fields were sampled from 101 fields in years 1991 to 2010 in Nova Scotia. We recorded field size, numbers of beehives, yield, densities of bees, numbers of buds, blossoms and set fruit. Yields increased linearly with numbers of beehives, up to∼4 hives/hectare, but at higher stocking rates there was too much variation to adequately determine the effects. Yields also increased linearly with numbers of honey bees, but there was an interaction with other bees that decreased the effects of honey bees, such that at maximum densities of other bees, there was no effect of honey bees on yield. These results suggest that other bees and honey bees compete for pollination. If producers have limited numbers of beehives, we suggest that more should be placed in areas where densities of other bees are lower, up to approximately 4 hives/hectare.

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The Alfalfa Leafcutting Bee, Megachile Rotundata Fabr.: An Alternative Managed Pollinator of Lowbush Blueberry

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

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

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

First New Jersey Record of the Red-Tailed Cuckoo Leaf-Cutter Bee (Coelioxys coturnix; Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)

Honey bee stocking numbers and wild blueberry production in Nova Scotia

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