Effect of Honey Bee Foraging Behaviors on ‘Delicious’ Apple Set1

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Abstract
‘Delicious’ apple flowers (Malus domestica Borkh.) set very few fruit after receiving single visits from honey bees (Apis meilifera L.) that foraged for nectar while standing on the flower petals. Yield from these flowers was similar to the yield from unpollinated blossoms. Much higher sets were observed in blossoms that were hand-pollinated, and on flowers visited only once by pollen-foraging or nectar-foraging bees that worked from on top of the stamens. Final yields from the latter 3 treatments were very similar, though generally lower than would be commercially desirable.

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