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Tag: solitary bees

closeup view of corner of a hivetop incubator on top of a honey bee hive box. the incubator is a wide, shallow box about two inches tall, topped with a wood panel. in the picture, near the corner of the incubator is a hole about a half-inch in diameter, and several Osmia lignaria bees are gathered on the outside of the box near the hole.

Honey Bee Heat Warms Up Fellow Pollinators for Early-Season Blooms

An incubator that draws excess heat from a honey bee hive warms up managed Osmia lignaria bees so they can pollinate early-blooming fruit trees such as cherry, apple, and almond. A new study shows the hivetop incubators are effective, with little effect on the honey bee hive temps below.

Monarda fistulosa flower patch

Do Pollinators Prefer Dense Flower Patches? Sometimes Yes, Sometimes No

A study looking at floral density and pollinators finds that some types of pollinating insects prefer dense flower patches more than others, but that preference can also vary by flower species, too. The complicated findings offer clues to how multiple pollinator species co-exist and compete for floral resources.