Bees

This year we had an early bloom. We were fortunate to have bees in for pollination early as
well. We hire bees each year to help the 'native' pollinators such as bumble bees. Other native
pollinators are small solitary bees and leaf cutter bees. There are some 3000 species of bees native to North America. Honey bees are, in fact, inefficient cranberry pollinators.

The honey bee is an import that came from Europe relativity recently. They are poorly adapted to the small cranberry flower with its tiny amount of nectar. Because there are so many flowers, the honey bees will go to the cranberry flower as a matter of course even though it is not preferred by the bee. It is important to maintain healthy population of native pollinators. Literature suggests that there is a correlation between healthy populations and good fruit set. We think of the bog as a system. We are fortunate to have 400 acres of surrounding land that allow habitat for pollinators.