Better together? Assessing pollinator facilitation between honey bees and bumble bees in blueberry

Monday, November 14, 2022

8:12 AM – 8:24 AM PT

Location: Vancouver Convention Centre, Meeting Room 116/117

Presenting Author(s)

John J. Ternest

PhD Student
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Co-Author(s)

PM

Patricio R. Munoz

University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Rachel E. Mallinger

Assistant Professor
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Southern highbush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) is highly dependent upon insect pollination with fruit set and berry weight both decreasing dramatically in the absence of pollinators. Resultantly, success in the blueberry production system is closely tied to the abundance and efficacy of pollinators. This presents a challenge in Florida where previous research has found a heavy reliance on honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) due to low wild pollinator visitation rates and many growers experiencing unsatisfactory pollination. Unlike bumble bees (Bombus spp.), honey bees are incapable of buzz pollinating and have been shown to be less effective on a per visit basis. Previous research in this system found that increasing bumble bee stocking density improves fruit set and yield despite low overall visitation rates as compared to honey bees, indicating a disproportionately positive impact on blueberry pollination. However, the use of these two managed pollinators together to achieve optimal pollination has not been well studied despite the growing proportion of farmers who invest in both pollinators during bloom. To fill this gap, we set out to test the hypothesis that managed bumble bee deployment facilitates and improves the efficacy of non-buzz pollinators by increasing rates of pollen release. Utilizing large field cages, we found that managed bumble bee deployment in conjunction with honey bees improves pollination outcomes when compared to deployment of only honey bees with pollinator facilitation as a potential mechanism.