A SHILLING A BEE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 24, 4 March 1942, Page 6

A SHILLING A BEE

BUMBLE VARIETY TO POLLINATE CLOVER In the latter part of the 19til Century, the British Government offered to buy bumblebees at one shilling each. These bumblebees (or bumblebees, as they are generally known in Great Britain) had to be hibernating females, and Ave re intended for export to Australia and Ncav Zealand.

The reason the Government wanted the bees may be traced to the fact that pollination in clover is accomplished almost entirely by bees in the course of their search for honey. It 'has been estimated that honey bees are worth perhaps fifty times as much for their services in pollinating clover as they are for the manufacture of honey. Red clover differs from the smaller varieties in that it has very deep corolla tubes. Ordinary honey bees find that their tongues are not quite long nnough to reach the nectar "which lies at the bottom of the tubes, find consequently they do not visit the red clover as frequently as they do ihe varieties -whose 1 nectar is more readily accessible. Thus red clover is dependent to a large extent on the bumblebees for the transfer of pollen from one plant tr another. (I i.v ;i curious f;iet iha! although 'J'io >peeie- of buinbh nrc nm.-vm j.o -eienoe find are ual: \ r if) p r.; i e:i! : v mi part.- «.i