Blueberry Pollination in Canada: The Magic of Bees

Some bees are among the good pollinators, they greatly contribute to the transfer of pollen. As a result, they undoubtedly play a crucial role in the production of blueberries. What are these species? And what are their respective roles in blueberry pollination in Canada?

First of all, pollination is a process of fertilization of female plants by pollen from plants of the opposite sex.

Regarding pollination by the bee, this animal species collects pollen and nectar from the flower. A portion of the nectar sticks to the hairs of the bee during transport to another flower. The bee, once placed on the other flower, deposits this nectar on its pistil or stigma. Practically, to feed, the bees proceed to the foraging of the flowers. They fly around them and their wings and bodies are covered with pollen grains.

True, some species of bees fail to actively collect pollen. However, they can still contribute to the pollination process. In reality, a pollinator bee that is not able to collect pollen from a flower can collect pollen left by another bee or another pollinator. It can also transport it to unrelated plants. It is for this reason that the role of the various species of bees in transporting pollen between plants and its consequences on crop yield are significant.

In the past, wild or native bees could meet the pollination needs of blueberry fields. However, given the development of fields over time, it is essential to call on other bees to participate in pollination. These bee species remain the most important pollinators of wild blueberries, but these days they are usually supported by commercially raised bees in the pollination process. They have adaptive mechanisms that make them more efficient at collecting juice from wild blueberry flowers and pollinating them. Wild bees use pollination by “sonication”. This method consists of creating the vibration of the flowers, to release the pollen in the pollen sacs of the blueberry.

With its trichromatic vision, the bee is able to seize, by perception, the route to follow and the colors to determine the zones, at the heart of the flower, where the nectar is most abundant. She is also able to smell the fragrance released by the flower, perceive bright colors, and is very sensitive to ultraviolet light.

We know the bee as the best pollinator. Indeed, a bee is able to collect the nectar and pollen of 250 flowers in the space of one hour and its single leg has the capacity to store up to five hundred thousand grains of pollen.

Certainly, there are different species of bees native to wild blueberry ecosystems. However, the information in this article focuses on the three main groups: bumblebees, andrenes and sweat bees.

Mainly, bumblebees live in society and in a colony made up of around 150 to 300 individuals. They are very good carriers of blueberry pollen. Although bumblebees belong to the wild bee family, not all of them are offensive. They are recognized by their hairy and stocky silhouette. They hum during their flight.

When the bumblebees are at work, they only visit a few flowers to collect pollen before they move from one clone to another. They have large bodies that help them easily move pollen from one flower to another.

To pollinate, they use the vibration pollination method to thus achieve a better pollen deposit. The process involves collecting the pollen from the tubular flowers, because otherwise the bees cannot access it. Practically, the bumblebees grab the flowers and flap their wings. And the resulting vibrational movement subtracts the pollen spores.

In terms of pollination, the utilities of the bumblebee are clearly appreciable. It performs faster, moving from one flower to another. In addition, compared to the honeybee, the bumblebee generates an excellent percentage of fruit set as well as a higher quantity of large seeds per blueberry. The bumblebee can operate in cooler temperatures and is also able to work in lighter rain. Given its effectiveness, it is possible to use fewer bumblebees than another species of bee to obtain the same result.

Andrenes are otherwise called burrowing bees or miner bees. They nest in the ground and help carry pollen from wild blueberries to pollinate them. Andrenes are simply smaller than bumblebees. However, they are able to infiltrate the blueberry flower and carry more pollen per unit body size. In terms of numbers and efficiency, andrenes are valuable wild blueberry pollinators. Andrenes collect pollen on their hind legs thanks to the flocculi, a set of hairs that form a loop located on the base of the hind legs. They use the vibration pollination method and are among the good pollinators of the highbush blueberry.

Andrene males appear shortly before females in the spring. From the moment the two sexes come out and mate, the female forages and tries to find a nest to produce her eggs and support her offspring.

Sweat bees nest in the ground. Their size can measure up to 11 mm. Some are colored bright green, while others are metallic in color and have stripes. Sweat bees are good blueberry pollinators and some types use the vibration pollination method when in operation. They are often called sweat bees because some types of sweat bees are attracted to human sweating caused by hot summer weather. The little ones can land on you and suck your sweat.