Biological protection, bumblebees

Plant protection with a biological method is based on using one live organism to fight another live organism. It is used mainly in green houses where bumblebees are used to pollinate. The beneficial insects, the so-called entomophaga, fight aphids, thrips, greenhouse whiteflies, agromyzidea, the black vine weevil etc.

using bumblebees in pollination

• For many crops such as tomatoes, peppers and strawberries, good pollination is a basis for receiving high efficiency and quality crops.

• Natural pollination with bumblebees is the most effective way of achieving good fruits.
• Bumblebees are also active in low temperatures, windy conditions and in cloudy weather .
• Thanks to this they can be used in green houses and foil tunnels (under polyethylene), where they do not loose their orientation and work well.

Biobest was the first company in the world to use bumblebees in pollination.

Standard Hive 1 Queen + 50-60 working-bees an delivery pollination activity min. 6-8 weeks for whole year cultivation, such as tomatoes or peppers
	Medium Hive 1 queen + 60-80 working-bees on delivery pollination activity min. 4-5 weeks for shorter cultivation periods, under protections
	Mini Hive about 50 working-bees pollination activity min. 3-4 weeks perfect for small areas (e.g. a few smaller fields of 100m2 surface) e.g. seed cultivations
Multi Hive 3 bumblebees colonies together, about 250-300 working-bees on delivery pollination activity min. 4-6 weeks for pollination on uncovered land and in tunnels.

Hives equipped with special bumblebee nourishment Biogluc.

with the use of the modern technologies, Biobest designed a fully automatic, easy to monitor, safe and simple hive for their bumblebees( www.biobest.be/pollination/the hive ) Nourishment container BIOGLUC® is located at the bottom of the hive, below the nest of larvae trap. Thanks to the ingenious nourishment system, bumblebees can nourish BIOGLUC® when they are within the Hive. The nourishment system constitutes of the licking through which the nourishment soaks through in a capillary way BIOGLUC®. In the hive casing there are two openings which allow for a proper air circulation and prevent condensation. The hive casing is built from a solid, recyclable cardboard covered in water resistant layer. Every hive is equipped with a 2 kg volume nourishment container. BIOGLUC® which lasts an entire one colony life. The nourishment system assures its impermeability, enable the bees, wild bees and ants the access to the nourishment and also a simple control of the nourishment level. BIOGLUC®. The hive has two entering openings. In normal conditions the standard opening is used. The second opening is equipped with a narrowing pipe, which forms a one-way gate. When this "valve" is open, bumblebees can enter the hive but they cannot exit it. Thanks to this simple solution bumblebees can be " locked inside " at any time of day if the need occurs .

1. Standard opening with outside opening.
2. Additional enter opening (unused normally )
3. Transparent interior casing
4. Outside casing, which can be opened
5. Nourishment system licking
6. Nourishment level, visible from outside.
7. Container with a liquid sugar solution
8. HIVE interior with a trap”

In our company you can buy bumble bees and entomophaga of the following companies: KOPPERT  and BIOBEST