![]() occidentalis in the Western United States was halted due to decimation by disease (Winter et al., 2006). ![]() Bombus terrestris is used most frequently at the global scale, but in North America, B. ![]() Koppert is the biggest supplier in the United States.Īround the world, there are five commonly reared species of bumble bee (genus Bombus): B. de Jonghe), Koppert (a Dutch company), and Buntin Brinkman Bees (another Dutch company). After this discovery, three major commercial bumble bee productions began, and those same three companies are still the premier suppliers of bumble bees globally: Biobest (founded by Dr. He discovered that bumble bees could replace the need for manual pollination by human workers, a practice that formerly required shaking the plants three times a week. However, around 95% are specifically used in tomato greenhouses (Velthuis & van Doorn, 2006).īumble bees were first discovered to have value in greenhouses in 1985, by Belgian veterinarian Dr. Most commercial bees are used in greenhouses, including for the growth of berries, squash, eggplant, and peppers (Abak et al., 1995 Shipp et al., 1994 Strange, 2015). It had a colour pattern unlike any other British species, with a red-brown thorax and a black abdomen with a white tip.Īfter a bit of detective work (and some help from local bee expert Ivan Wright) the arrival of the tree bumblebee in Oxford was confirmed.Bumble bees are managed for their pollination services in a variety of crop systems, including tomatoes, fruit trees, berries, and soybean (Abrol & Shankar, 2012 Feltham et al., 2014 Stanley et al., 2015 Suzuki et al., 2007). We first became aware of this new bee in Oxford in 2008 when Steven Williams, one of our regular volunteers, brought in a strange-looking bumblebee which none of us recognised. This species is believed to have colonised the UK naturally from France and since its arrival about 10 years ago is spreading rapidly across Britain. Unfortunately, attempts to re-introduce these New Zealand bees have been unsuccessful because they are too inbred, but by introducing short-haired bumblebees from Sweden the species is establishing again in Kent (more details about the short-haired bumblebee re-introduction can be found at )Īlthough we have lost some species we have recently gained one more, the tree bumblebee ( Bombus hypnorum). Although extinct in the UK, descendants of some British short-haired bumblebees still survive– in New Zealand! These bees originate from a deliberate introduction to New Zealand in the late 19 th Century for pollination of clover crops. The short-haired bumblebee ( Bombus subterraneus) has been the focus of recent conservation efforts. In the UK 28 species of bumblebee (species of Bombus) have been recorded, although several species are sadly now extinct or have been seen only a few times. Bumblebees and honeybees are also closely related, both belonging to the order Hymenoptera, family Apidae. James Hogan, of the Museum’s Hope Entomological Collections.īumblebees and honeybees busily working away are one of the iconic visions of summer. This week’s What’s on the van? comes from Dr.
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