An initial assessment of blueberry pollinators in New Zealand

Abstract

The short tongued bumble bee, Bombus terrestris (L.), followed by the honey bee, Apis mellifera L., were the commonest blueberry pollinators at Lincoln, New Zealand. At most, 7% of honey bee visits and 24% of B. terrestris visits to blueberry flowers could have resulted in pollination. Honey bees visited flowering shelter adjacent to the blueberries more often than the bumble bees did. The long tongued bumble bees, B. hortorum (L.) and B. ruderatus (Fabr.), consistently pollinated blueberry flowers, bit low populations restricted their value in pollination. There were no other effective insect pollinators of blueberries.

Keywords:

• blueberry pollination
• New Zealand
• bumble bees
• Bombus terrestris
• honey bees
• Apis mellifera
• competing flowers