Apple orchard invite.

[Poly Hive]

Last I heard was bumbles were imported form Belgium but that was anecdotal.

Just found a new site for our association hives which is funnily enough an old orchard.

PH

[gavin]

Biobest produce in Belgium and Koppert produce in Slovakia and Turkey. At least one will supply the UK bumble bee Bombus terrestris audax if you want - potentially with a mix of international pathogens. All use honey bee pollen loads so there's another opportunity for cross-species pathogen mixing.

[alancooper]

I remember reading somewhere that many of the bumble and solitary bees do a much better job of orchard pollination than honey bees do - I think it's that fruit blossom isn't that rich in sugar, and honey bees have the option to fly further to collect 'better' nectar from hedgerows etc, while the others have to get what they can 'locally'.[/url]

I have 10 apple trees in a grass field in small-field hedged landscape. My honey bees and bumble bees use the apple trees in small numbers compared with other flying insects mainly hover flies. I am not an entomologist but pollination processes seem quite different in high nature value landscapes.