Bumblebees - For pollination of tomatoes, eggplants, pepper, berries, fruit trees etc.

Article Article-number Quantity Price Bumblebees 0200 1 stade 450 Dkr Bumblebees 0201 1 stade 550 Dkr Bumblebees for strawberry and fruit 0202 1 stade

Bombus terrestris

Bumblebees are very important for pollination of tomatoes, pepper, eggplants, strawberries, fruit trees etc. The commercial most used species is Bombus terrestrials. Other domesticated species are available. The bumblebee will work also under cold, cloudy and rainy conditions, where the honeybee (Aphis mellifera) stops working. In the bumblebeehive there is a queen and some workers, depending of the type of hive. In some weeks the hive will grow, and up till 100 workers will work from the same hive. In 10-12 weeks time, under normal conditions, drones and new queens will develop, and the hive will stop working. The old queen will die, and the new queens will start new nests new places. Before this happens, new hives has to be brought into the pollination area, so the pollination is sufficient for an optimal yield. The hive contains 1,5 kg suggerwater, placed in the bottom of the hive. This is enough for feeding the bumblebees with energy in the 12 weeks. Pollen is added so the bees can feed the larvae in development under transport. This means the hive can manage to be without pollen for one week, until it is placed in the crop. In the hive there are two flight-holes, one for in and out, another for only in. In the latter there is a trap, so the bees can only come in, not out again (when closing the in/out hole). This makes it possible to catch all bees within two hours, as for example necessary before a chemical spray, or if the hives has to be removed.

How to use
Nevertheless the hive is used in- or outdoor, always place the hive in the shade. This means the hive should be placed in the row (tomatoes) between plants, or it is necessary to make a kind of roof that is placed on top of the hive(strawberries). Or place the hive in the shade of threes or bushes in the edge of the field.. In the field the hives can be placed direct on the soil, or even digged down with 1/3 of the hive over the soil.

• For control of grey mould in strawberries, it is possible to use a special box, where Trichoderma or another controlagent is placed regularly. In this way the bumblebees will deposit the microbial agent directly in the flowers when they pollinate.
• Tomatoes: 1 standard hive per 1500-3000 m2.
• Strawberries, raspberries, and fruit trees: 1 (extra strong) hive per. 2.000-2500 m2.

The Product
The bumblebee hive with one queen and a number of workers. For Strawberries extra strong hives is recommended to use, as the pollination is very short (4 weeks) Box with Trichoderma /microbial agent for grey mould control.

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