Bees Boost Blueberry Yield

Basket-of-blueberriesBumblebees can boost blueberry yield by 70 percent, according to a recent study by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

According to researcher Joshua Campbell, the recent findings “are relevant for growers who are growing blueberries in greenhouses and high tunnels.”

After caging bumblebees, hives with highbush blueberry bushes, researchers found that 70 percent of the flowers produced blueberries, while less than 10 percent of those without bumblebee hives produced blueberries.

Blueberry growers already use bees on their farms, but now have concrete evidence to back the use of bees on highbush blueberries.