The Foraging Behaviour of Honeybees (Apis mellifera) and Bumblebees (Bombus Spp.) on Blackcurrant (Ribes nigrum), Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) and Strawberry (Fragaria x Ananassa) Flowers

1968 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 157 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. B. Free
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Fragaria X Ananassa ◽  
Rubus Idaeus ◽  
Ribes Nigrum

scholarly journals Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae) as a potential Brassica napus pollinator (cv. Hyola 432) (Brassicaceae), in Southern Brazil

2010 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 1075-1081 ◽  
Author(s):  
AS. Rosa ◽  
B. Blochtein ◽  
NR. Ferreira ◽  
S. Witter
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Brassica Napus ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Winter Season ◽  
Pollen Load ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Floral Constancy ◽  
Food Shortages ◽  
Bee Foraging ◽  
Winter Crop

Brassica napus Linnaeus is considered a self-compatible crop; however, studies show that bee foraging elevates their seed production. Considering bee food shortages during the winter season and that the canola is a winter crop, this study aimed to evaluate the foraging behaviour of Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758 regarding those flowers, and to verify if it presents adequate behaviour for successfully pollinating this crop in Rio Grande do Sul State. The study was carried out in a canola field, in Southern Brazil. The anthesis stages were morphologically characterised and then related to stigma receptivity and pollen grain viability. Similarly, the behaviour of A. mellifera individuals on flowers was followed, considering the number of flowers visited per plant, the amount of time spent on the flowers, touched structures, and collected resources. Floral fidelity was inferred by analysing the pollen load of bees collected on flowers. The bees visited from 1-7 flowers/plant (x = 2.02; sd = 1.16), the time spent on the flowers varied between 1-43 seconds (x = 3.29; sd = 2.36) and, when seeking nectar and pollen, they invariably touched anthers and stigmas. The pollen load presented 100% of B. napus pollen. The bees' attendance to a small number of flowers/plants, their short permanence on flowers, their contact with anthers and stigma and the integral floral constancy allows their consideration as potential B. napus pollinators.

Honeybee pollination of strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne)

1988 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 435 ◽  
Author(s):  
RD Goodman ◽  
BP Oldroyd
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Fragaria X Ananassa ◽  
Fresh Weight ◽  
Pollinating Insects ◽  
Insect Visitors

The pollination requirements of strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne cv. Tioga) were examined in a planting in southern Victoria. Plots that were accessible to honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) had 20.8% marketable berries (well shaped, > 10 g fresh weight), whereas plots that were not accessible had only 4.5% marketable berries. The total numbers of fruit (marketable and unmarketable) were not affected by the presence of pollinating insects. Honeybees were considered to be the main pollinators of this crop. They comprised 58.9% of insect visitors to the flowers. The behaviour patterns of other insects were such that they would effect little or no pollination. We conclude that the presence of an adequate population of honeybees increases the proportion of well shaped (marketable) berries.

scholarly journals Pollen Release Dynamics and Daily Patterns of Pollen-Collecting Activity of Honeybee Apis mellifera and Bumblebee Bombus lantschouensis in Solar Greenhouse

Insects ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hong Zhang ◽  
Zhiyong Zhou ◽  
Jiandong An
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Pollen Grains ◽  
Colony Development ◽  
Anther Dehiscence ◽  
Solar Greenhouse ◽  
Bee Foraging ◽  
Pollen Release ◽  
Increasing Temperature ◽  
The Relationship

Pollen is important not only for pollination and fertilization of plants, but also for colony development of bee pollinators. Anther dehiscence determines the available pollen that can be collected by foragers. In China, honeybees and bumblebees are widely used as pollinators in solar greenhouse agriculture. To better understand the effect of solar greenhouse microclimates on pollen release and pollen-foraging behaviour, we observed the anther dehiscence dynamics and daily pollen-collecting activity of Apis mellifera and Bombus lantschouensis during peach anthesis in a solar greenhouse in Beijing. Microclimate factors had a significant effect on anther dehiscence and bee foraging behaviour. The proportion of dehisced anthers increased with increasing temperature and decreasing relative humidity and peaked from 11:00 h to 14:00 h, coinciding with the peak pollen-collecting activity of bees. On sunny days, most pollen grains were collected by the two pollinators within two hours after anther dehiscence, at which time the viability of pollen had not yet significantly decreased. Our study helps us to better understand the relationship between food resources and pollinator foraging behaviour and to make better use of bees for pollination in Chinese solar greenhouses.

scholarly journals The foraging behaviour of honey bees, Apis mellifera: a review

2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
HF Abou-Shaara
Keyword(s):  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bee ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Foraging Behaviour ◽  
Foraging Activity ◽  
Monitoring Methods ◽  
Ambient Environment ◽  
Bee Colony ◽  
Foraging Preference ◽  
Honey Bee Colony

Foraging behaviour is one of the distinctive behaviours of honey bees, Apis mellifera. This behaviour is the link between the honey bee colony and the ambient environment. Therefore, various in-colony and out-colony factors have an impact on this behaviour, and many studies have been employed to investigate these factors. Foraging behaviour is not advantageous only for the colony and for plant pollination but also has other benefits. In contrast, some disadvantages have also been discovered to be linked with foraging activity. Practically speaking, the control over this behaviour is very important to maximize colony products as well as to increase other agricultural benefits. This paper presents a review on foraging activity including; the regulation of foraging tasks, factors impacting this behaviour, foraging preference, variations between subspecies, monitoring methods as well as the possible methods for controlling this behaviour. As concluded from this review, more work needs to be performed in order to elucidate certain aspects of foraging behaviour.  

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