Using biodiversity to stimulate wild bees in the orchard (BIOFRUITNET Practice Abstract)

Summary

Utilising different types of pollinators in the orchard can improve fruit yield and quality.
Practical recommendations
• Mason bees fly at lower temperatures and in worse weather conditions than honey bees
• When you have your own mason bees, place nest boxes and cocoons in the orchard two weeks before fruit blossom.
• Provide an orchard with flowering trees and shrubs, and perennial or annual flowers during the whole season
• For mason bees especially early flowering is important, before and after the blossom period
• Mason bees' males hatch earlier than females. Make sure there are flowers in the orchard for the males’ flight.
• Early flowering trees and shrubs are: haselnut, willow, yellow dogwood and Prunus
• Early flowering bulbs that are attractive for mason bees are grape hyacinth and siberian squill.
• Early spontaneous flowers that are frequently visited by mason bees are dandelion, lungwort, lesser celandine, ground ivy, coltsfoot and common field-speedwell