Blackberry
Pollination Solutions
Rubus Fruiticosus
Effective blackberry pollination is essential for achieving good fruit set and high-quality berry development. Blackberry crops rely on insect activity during flowering to ensure that each individual drupelet is pollinated, resulting in well-formed fruit.
Zonda bumblebee hives support New Zealand blackberry growers with reliable pollination throughout the flowering period.
Blackberry Flower Biology
- The blackberry flower is hermaphroditic, producing both pollen and nectar, and is capable of self-pollination. Cross-pollination plays a greater role in achieving effective fertilisation and high-quality fruit.
- Blackberry fruit is a compound fruit made up of multiple drupelets, each developing from an individual pistil. Every pistil must be pollinated separately for well-formed fruit.
- Pistils become receptive gradually from the base outward over several days, requiring multiple bumblebee visits for complete pollination.
- Bare stamens generally indicate adequate pollinator visits.
- If flowers are scarce, bumblebees may over-visit remaining flowers, gripping and vibrating them to collect the last pollen grains — a behaviour known as buzz pollination. Excessive vibration can damage the flower receptacle, later appearing as cork-like spots on the fruit.
Managed Bumblebee Pollination for Blackberry Orchards
Bumblebee pollination supports reliable cross-pollination between compatible blackberry varieties during the blossom period.
Bumblebees are well suited to commercial orchard pollination because they:
- Remain active in cooler early spring conditions
- Exhibit strong foraging behaviour across orchard rows
- Move effectively between polliniser varieties
- Provide consistent pollination activity during peak bloom
Reliable pollination improves fruit set, supports fruit uniformity and contributes to consistent crop development.
When to introduce Bumblebee Hives for Blackberry Pollination
For pollination of blackberry crops, a minimum of 6-9 LARGE colonies per hectare are necessary if no other pollinators are present.
On delivery, a LARGE colony contains 80–110 worker bees and a queen, with a typical lifespan of four to six weeks depending on crop conditions.
Hives should be introduced at early bloom to ensure colonies establish foraging patterns before peak flowering. Even distribution throughout orchard blocks encourages effective cross-pollination between compatible varieties.
Colony density may be adjusted depending on orchard layout, tree age, bloom intensity and the presence of additional pollinating insects.
Bumblebee Hives for Blackberry Orchards
Explore Zonda Beneficials bumblebee hives for outdoor crop pollination to support blackberry production.
Small Hive
up to 750 m²
Contains approximately 50 worker bees.
Large Hive
1100 m² to 1500 m²
Contains approximately 80–100 worker bees.
Bumblebee Hive Placement and Use
- Introduce colonies when the first flowers are open.
- Place hives on a sturdy support approximately 50 cm above the ground — sunny in spring, shaded later in the season.
- Secure hives to prevent ant access.
- After placement, allow bees to settle for 30–60 minutes before opening the flight hole. They will begin pollinating shortly after their initial orientation flights.
- Bumblebees are most active between 15–25°C, and will work in temperatures from 10–30°C.
Bumblebee Safety and Crop Protection
- Bumblebees are compatible with natural enemies and biological control programmes.
- Agricultural chemicals can affect bumblebees directly (killing workers or larvae through contact or ingestion) or indirectly (treated flowers may deter foraging visits).
- Systemic pesticides can have long-lasting effects. In crops that produce both nectar and pollen (e.g. sweet pepper), the impact on the colony can be significantly greater than in pollen-only crops (e.g. tomato).
- Detailed information on pesticide compatibility is available in Zonda’s Side Effects Guide.
- Before any crop treatment, activate the BEEHOME option to allow bees to enter but not leave the hive. After approximately one hour, the hive can be fully closed and either covered or removed from the crop.
- If temporarily removed, store the hive at 18–20°C.