FNZ 57 - Apoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera) - Economic value
Donovan, BJ 2007. Apoidea (Insecta: Hymenoptera). Fauna of New Zealand 57, 295 pages.
(
ISSN 0111-5383 (print),
;
no.
57.
ISBN 978-0-478-09389-6 (print),
).
Published 07 Sep 2007
ZooBank: http://zoobank.org/References/B2070E05-13B6-4CBF-9A0A-0ACE40FA4796
Economic value
Native bees
A survey of the insect visitors to flowers of kiwifruit Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang et A.R. Ferguson at 54 orchards in 1980 and 1981, found up to 7 species of Leioproctus, several species of Hylaeus, and Lasioglossum sordidum. Leioproctus spp. were present at 30% of sites, and on a per-bee basis were ranked third most effective at transferring pollen after bumble bees and honey bees. Leioproctus spp. were sufficiently numerous in some orchards to reduce the number of honey bee hives needed per hectare (Macfarlane & Ferguson 1983). Some growers from most of the kiwifruit-growing regions reported similar numbers. Female bees caught on female flowers carried up to half a million male pollen grains on their bodies, a number comparable to that carried by bumble bees and honey bees. Comparative numbers for Hylaeus spp. were 500, and for Lasioglossum sordidum, 5,000. At Manutuke, GB, Donovan (1987) caught 100 Leioproctus spp. on or over 1 flowering male vine in 80 minutes. The bees were so numerous that a low hum was audible throughout the 1.5 ha vineyard.
The economic value of native bees as pollinators of kiwifruit has not been determined. The net return for the kiwifruit crop for the 2002/03 financial year was $860 million (J. Lancaster, Zespri Innovation Ltd., pers. comm.). If native bees were responsible for pollinating just a small percentage of flowers, their value would run into the several millions of dollars annually.
Native bees sometimes forage in large numbers on a number of other crops of economic value, such as some Rosaceae (pers. obs.), onion seed crops (Howlett et al. 2005), brassica seed crops (B. Howlett pers. comm. and pers. obs.), and chestnuts and avocados (pers. obs.), but their efficacy as pollinators is as yet unknown.
Some species of Leioproctus will excavate nests in dirt driveways, sparse domestic lawns, fairways of golf courses, and children’s play areas. The nests can sometimes become sufficiently numerous to prompt efforts to eliminate them. However, when assured that the bees are not causing damage and that the nests will disappear in a few weeks (only to reappear next year), the affected parties are usually mollified and the bees are let be.
Introduced bees
There are no reports of benefits or damage for the adventive species.
By the late 1980s alkali bees were readily observable pollinating lucerne flowers near Blenheim, MB, and substantial increases in seed yields were resulting from the managed use of lucerne leafcutting bees (Donovan & Read 1988a). Several hundred thousand leafcutting bee cells had also been exported to Australia. However, following the dissolution of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research on 30 June 1992, day-to-day contact with and tutoring of bee owners ceased, with a consequent collapse of bee numbers, and a slump in pollination of lucerne seed crops. But, by winter 2006 there were 175,000 managed leafcutting bee preupae in cool starage, and during summer bees were again being used to pollinate a lucerne seed crop.
After summer 2005, the total number of managed Osmia coerulescens was about 900, which was still far too few to impact positively on the yield of red clover seed.
A short time after the 4 species of bumble bees were introduced from England in 1885 and 1906, expressly to improve the pollination of red clover, large increases in seed yields were recorded (Hopkins 1914). For the 2001/2002 season, 989 ha of red clover were projected to be harvested (Anon. 2002), but there is no information as to the overall value of bumble bees as pollinators. However, Donovan (2001) calculated the mean value of tetraploid red clover seed per colony resulting from pollination by 14 colonies of Bombus hortorum moved to red clover seed crops, to be $999.02.
Bumble bees, and especially Bombus terrestris on a bee-for-bee basis, are probably the most effective pollinators of a wide range of crops and especially kiwifruit, because their large very hairy bodies carry great numbers of pollen grains. Also, bumble bees are on the wing when low temperatures and adverse weather prevent flight by other species of bees. Colonies of B. terrestris are raised under controlled conditions and have been used throughout New Zealand since the early 1990s to pollinate glasshouse tomatoes and several other glasshouse crops. For about 20 years, up to several score colonies of the long-tongued species B. hortorum and a few B. ruderatus have been field trap-nested and sold to red clover growers for pollination of seed crops. Queen B. terrestris and B. ruderatus are exported, primarily to Europe, for the production of colonies for pollination of glasshouse crops.
The honey bee was introduced in 1839 for honey production, and at the end of June 2006 there were 2,911 registered beekeepers keeping 294,886 beehives. The honey crop for the last 6 years averaged 8,806 t. The honey crop for 2003 was a record high of 12,252 t (which followed a record low of 4,682 t for 2002) (Anon. 2003), and at an estimated return to the beekeeper of $3/kg for honey, would have been worth $36,756,000.00. Much additional revenue accrues from other products such as pollen, wax, royal jelly, propolis, and venom, and sales both within the country and overseas of package and queen bees and hive parts. Services such as crop pollination and tourism return substantial sums. The total income to beekeepers for hive products and pollination services has been assessed as $48.2 million (Anon. 1994a). However, the main value of honey bees results from their pollination of seed and fruit crops. The annual replacement nitrogen fixed into pastures by honey bee-pollinated legumes has been valued at $1,872.4 million, fruit crops at $1,004.8 million, and vegetables and seeds at $211.3 million (total $3,088.5 million) (C. van Eaton in Anon. 1994b).
Most species of bees visit and presumably pollinate some plants that are regarded as weeds. A review of available information on reproductive strategies of weeds in protected natural areas concluded that 43% are visited by honey bees, and although honey bees may be important pollinators of some weeds, they probably do not contribute substantially to weed problems (Butz Huryn & Moller 1995).
Bumble bees and the honey bee sometimes occupy compost heaps (bumble bees) and cavities in houses and other buildings (bumble bees and the honey bee) from which people wish them to be removed. Removal is usually undertaken by professional pest controllers, and/or for honey bees, by amateur beekeepers.