Page Intro: The Bombus spp., B. impatiens, and B. occidentalis, are Bumblebees used for pollination of various crops. The content on this page is presented in a manner inconsistent with most of the other data pages on this site. This is because the organism and its role also resides outside the norm. On this page you will find a general info and other good stuff such as ordering.
General Information
Greenhouse tomato plants (as just one example), as do their outdoor brethren, require pollination to fruit. Outdoors this is done by bees, wasps, wind and other natural sources. In the greenhouse, however, people and sometimes their people-made devices must be the bees and the wind. On tomato plants, growers manually, or with a small “buzz” device, shake or vibrate the flower laden trusses (the flowers have sex and tomatoes are born).
This is all fine and dandy, it works quite well — many tomatoes are born each day. The problem is the amount of focused manpower needed to properly carry out the pollination process. That’s where commercially produced bees come in: commercial bumblebee hives, for example, are designed exclusively for crop pollination. Not just for tomatoes, but other crops as well: peppers; cukes; squash; cane-, straw-, blue- and cranberries; and many other crops in need of primary or supplemental pollinators.
Growers should use bumblebees shortly after the first flowers appear. Normal greenhouse conditions (without the normal greenhouse sprays) can support the hive, though excessively high temperatures may hamper activity. Cool temperatures, on the other hand, may slow activity, but don’t completely halt it. That’s the nice thing about bumblebees versus honeybees, they can fly in cool weather, down to 41°F, even in the rain and on windy or cloudy days, visiting flowers, bruising them (a scouting sign of activity), doing their thing. Honeybees won’t even come out of their hive in those conditions, and temperatures have to be at least 50°F. Consequently, Bombus spp. are a viable option for outdoor use in addition to greenhouse applications. They’re bigger, faster, better and more versatile.
Please bear in mind, though, not the bees, but the actual hives, must be sheltered from the elements if used outdoors. A half-sheet of plywood will do. And indoors, the hives must be placed above the ground, in a vibration-free (from fans, etc.) place where they will be sheltered from irrigation water, traffic, etc., yet open from all frontal angles of approach. Placed on 2 cinder blocks on end, perhaps, and in such a way that ants cannot access it (by applying a sticky trap compound to the blocks). By the way, don’t open the little doors until the bees inside settle down. They can be agitated from all the handling and might respond to your handling aggressively, so wait at least one hour.
In fact, anytime while using bees, it should be noted that they can sting. If you’re hypersensitive to stings, do not go anywhere near these hives. It is, in fact, best to not even enter a greenhouse or field while the bees are being used. The non-allergic individual should go about his or her business as usual, but occasional stings can occur. Give the bee hive a wide berth when possible. Additionally, try not to make wild movements around the hive, as this may evoke aggression. Bright colored clothing may spark curiosity from the bees, but should not provoke them as long as you keep your composure. In a nutshell, bumblebees should be given due respect. They are not domesticated or trained, just laboratory reared.
The hive is constructed of cardboard and plastic and comes with its own food source. The hive is completely self-contained.
If you, like many growers, have several small greenhouses, instead of one 8,000 square footer, for example, you may encounter difficulty keeping them pollinated. That’s were the “hotel hive” concept comes in. It is placed in a greenhouse while some of the present hive’s bees are out foraging. The active hive is replaced by the hotel hive. It is then moved to another greenhouse while the hotel hive awaits the remaining foragers, it’s their new and temporary home.
Bombus impatiens can be used in all states except AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, and WY. For the listed states use the other commercially available species: B. occidentalis (call us at 603-942-8925 to check availability). CA greenhouse growers need to obtain a permit. Get more info in this article.
Most growers have success with bumblebee hives, with the huge labor-savings and improved fruit-set, at least nobody’s complaining too loudly. [Intro]
Rates, Instructions, and Purchase
Need more information? Check out our release rates or our short-term storage, handling, and release instructions. You may also purchase B. impatiens hives (also available in outdoor “Quad” hives). We also have a number of bee hive accessories that you might want or need: items such as nectar bags, supplemental pollen, hotel hives, support stands, even warning posters.
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