How many bees does it take?

[Digeroo]

Apple trees has so few bees there were about 6 yesterday on Discovery but Golden Delicious had more on a much smaller tree.  I presume it must be sweeter.  In some years the whole trees buzzes with bees.

I was trying to calculate how many flowers might be pollenated.  We have about 6 hours of bee weather yesterday and at 8 seconds a visit I thereby calculated they visited about 8000 flowers, Seems plenty.  Except there seemed to be very little movement between the trees.  The smaller new trees seem to do better because there are only a few flowers on each and then the bee moves on to a new tree.

Do hoverfly do the job?  There seemed to be more of them except they are much slower between flowers and spend a lot of time hovering.

[Digeroo]

[goodlife]

You have far too much time in your hands..

Wasps, all manner different bees, some flies..they all contribute to pollination success. As far as I know there is no difference between apple variety's nectar itself.. growing conditions can make difference, even within same tree. Flowers on the sunny side on the tree will be worked better and if the weather conditions are bit challenging they choose those flowers that produce better quality nectar.
I'm not sure about hoverflies...but would expect so..if they visit the flower there must be evolutional reason for it.

[Digeroo]

I found myself drawn into watching the insects.  It was quite enlightening.   THe cold spring last year really suited the apples and we had loads, not sure that the early spring will be so good.

I am not clear why the bees like the Golden Delicious.  It is right next to the Discovery and in on smaller roots stock, so while the Discovery is huge at about 5.5 metres.  We have to get the ladder out to pick the fruit.   It was ages before it fruited.   The GD has hardly grown for years and is about 2.5 metres.     They are normally both good fruiters. Not much difference in soil or aspect, the Discovery is behind the GD and towers above it, and I  hack bits off to give the smaller tree some space.  My compost bin is underneath them, so they both get the drippings.  But it is nearer to the GD so perhaps it benefits more.   

[winecap]

This takes me back a couple of weeks when the pear blossom was out. My young Williams pear had blossom for the first time this year, and the conference had much more than last year. I kept watching for insects, but only ever saw a single butterfly - no bees at all. Something has done the job though, as there are now lots of little pears in the making. My apple, a much older, full size tree is just about to come out and with my new beehive in position I'm wondering whether I will notice a difference in the amount of fruit this year.

[Robert_Brenchley]

A lot of pollination of that type of very open flower is done by flies, beetles, solitary wasps and bees, and all sorts of insects which aren't necessarily very noticeable. They spend a lot more time around the plot than you do, as well, unless you actually live there.

[Golach]

And butterflies are pollinators too.  Just a shame their caterpillars can be destructive little horrors.