Bees make a Significant Contribution to the British Economy
Replacing Bee Pollination with Hand Pollination Could Cost British Farmers £1.8 Billion a Year in Labour and Pollen Alone.
■ £510 million of annual total crop sales in the UK are pollinated by bees and other insects.
■ Replacing bee pollination with hand pollination could cost farmers £1.8 billion a year in labour and pollen alone.
■ The price of many fruits and vegetables would go up without bees. The price of British apples could double.
Crop Plants Showing Those Pollinated by Bees
Below is a list of food crops showing which insects pollinate them. It shows what an important part Bees play the lifecycles of plants we rely on for food. (sourced from Wikipedia)
| Common name | Latin name | Pollinator | Commercial product of pollination |
Pollinator impact |
number of honey beehives per acre |
Geography of cultivation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okra | Abelmoschus esculentus | Honey bees (incl. Apis cerana), Solitary bees(Halictus spp.) | fruit | 2-modest | temperate | |
| Kiwifruit | Actinidia deliciosa | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | fruit | 4-essential | ||
| Bucket orchid | Coryanthes | Male Euglossini bees (Orchid bees) | ||||
| Onion | Allium cepa | Honey bees, Solitary bees | seed | temperate | ||
| Cashew | Anacardium occidentale | Honey bees, Stingless bees, Bumblebees,Solitary bees (Centris tarsata), Butterflies, Flies, hummingbirds | nut | 3-great | tropical | |
| Atemoya, Cherimoya,Custard apple | Annona squamosa | Nitidulid Beetles | fruit | 4-essential | tropical | |
| Celery | Apium graveolens | Honey bees, Solitary bees, Flies | seed | temperate | ||
| Strawberry tree | Arbutus unedo | Honey bees, Bumblebees | fruit | 2-modest | ||
| American Pawpaw | Asimina triloba | Carrion Flies, Dung Flies | fruit | 4-essential | temperate | |
| Carambola, Starfruit | Averrhoa carambola | Honey bees, Stingless bees | fruit | 3-great | tropical | |
| Brazil nut | Bertholletia excelsa | Bumblebees, Orchid bees (Euglossini),Carpenter bees | nut | 4-essential | tropical | |
| Beet | Beta vulgaris | Hover Flies, Honey bees, Solitary bees | seed | 1-little | temperate | |
| Mustard | Brassica alba,Brassica hirta,Brassica nigra | Honey bees, Solitary bees (Osmia cornifrons,Osmia lignaria) | seed | 2-modest | temperate | |
| Rapeseed | Brassica napus | Honey bees, Solitary bees | seed | 2-modest | temperate | |
| Broccoli | Brassica oleracea cultivar | Honey bees, Solitary bees | seed | temperate | ||
| Cauliflower | Brassica oleraceaBotrytis Group | Honey bees, Solitary bees | seed | temperate | ||
| Cabbage | Brassica oleraceaCapitata Group | Honey bees, Solitary bees | seed | temperate | ||
| Brussels sprouts | Brassica oleraceaGemmifera Group | Honey bees, Solitary bees | seed | temperate | ||
| Chinese cabbage | Brassica rapa | Honey bees, Solitary bees | seed | temperate | ||
| Turnip, Canola | Brassica rapa | Honey bees, Solitary bees (Andrena ilerda,Osmia cornifrons, Osmia lignaria, Halictus spp.),Flies | seed | 3-great | 1 | temperate |
| Pigeon pea, Cajan pea, Congo bean | Cajanus cajan | Honey bees, Solitary bees (Megachile spp.),Carpenter bees | seed | 1-little | ||
| Jack bean, Horse bean,Sword bean | Canavalia spp. | Solitary bees, Carpenter bees (Xylocopa confusa) | seed | 2-modest | ||
| Chilli pepper, Red pepper, Bell pepper,Green pepper | Capsicum annuum, Capsicum frutescens | Honey bees, Stingless bees (Melipona spp.),Bumblebees, Solitary bees, Hover flies | fruit | 1-little (pollinators important in green houses to increase fruit weight, but less in open fields) | ||
| Papaya | Carica papaya | Honey bees, thrips, large sphinx moths, Moths,Butterflies | fruit | 1-little | ||
| Safflower | Carthamus tinctorius | Honey bees, Solitary bees | seed | 1-little | ||
| Caraway | Carum carvi | Honey bees, Solitary bees, Flies | seed | 2-modest | temperate | |
| Chestnut | Castanea sativa | Honey bees, Solitary bees | nut | 2-modest | temperate | |
| Star apple, Cainito | Chrysophyllum cainito | Insects, Bats | fruit | 1-little | tropical | |
| Watermelon | Citrullus lanatus | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | fruit | 4-essential | 1-3 | temperate |
| Tangerine | Citrus tangerina | Honey bees, Bumblebees | fruit | 1-little | sub-tropical | |
| Tangelo | Citrus spp. | Honey bees, Bumblebees | fruit | 1-little | sub-tropical | |
| Coconut | Cocos nucifera | Honey bees, Stingless bees | nut | 2-modest | tropical | |
| Coffea spp. Coffea arabica, Coffea canephora | Coffea spp. | Honey bees, Stingless bees, Solitary bees | fruit | 2-modest | tropical | |
| Cola nut | Cola nitida, Cola vera, Cola acuminata | Flies | nut | 3-great | ||
| Coriander | Coriandrum sativum | Honey bees, Solitary bees | seed | 3-great | ||
| Crownvetch | Coronilla varia L. | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | seed (increased yield from pollinators) | temperate | ||
| Hazelnut | Corylus cornutavar. californica | Wind pollinated. | nut | temperate | ||
| Azarole | Crataegusazarolus | Honey bees, Solitary bees | fruit | 1-little | ||
| Cantaloupe, Melon | Cucumis melo L. | Honey bees, Squash bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees (Ceratina spp.) | fruit | 4-essential | 2-4 | temperate |
| Cucumber | Cucumis sativus | Honey bees, Squash bees, Bumblebees,Leafcutter bee (in greenhouse pollination),Solitary bees (for some parthenocarpicgynoecious green house varieties pollination is detrimental to fruit quality) | fruit | 3-great | 1-2 | temperate |
| Squash (plant),Pumpkin, Gourd, Marrow, Zuchini | Cucurbita spp. | Honey bees, Squash bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | fruit | 4-essential | 1 | temperate |
| Guar bean, Goa bean | Cyamopsis tetragonoloba | Honey bees | seed | 1-little | ||
| Quince | Cydonia oblonga Mill. | Honey bees | fruit | temperate | ||
| Lemon | Honey bees | fruit | temperate | |||
| Lime | Honey bees | fruit | temperate | |||
| Carrot | Daucus carota | Flies, Solitary bees, Honey bees | seed | temperate | ||
| Hyacinth bean | Dolichos spp. | Honey bees, Solitary bees | seed | 2-modest | ||
| Longan | Dimocarpus longan | Honey bees, Stingless bees | 1-little | |||
| Persimmon | Diospyros kaki,Diospyros virginiana | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | fruit | 1-little | ||
| Durian | Durio zibethinus | Bats, birds | 3-great | tropical | ||
| Oil palm | Elaeis guineensis | Weevils, Thrips | seed | 1-little | tropical | |
| Cardamom | Elettaria cardamomum | Honey bees, Solitary bees | 3-great | |||
| Loquat | Eriobotrya japonica | Honey bees, Bumblebees | fruit | 3-great | ||
| Buckwheat | Fagopyrum esculentum | Honey bees, Solitary bees | seed | 3-great | 1 | temperate |
| Feijoa | Feijoa sellowiana | Honey bees, Solitary bees | fruit | 3-great | tropical | |
| Fig | Ficus spp. | Fig wasps (incl. Blastophaga psenes)[1][2] | fruit (syconium) | 2-modest | sub-tropical | |
| Fennel | Foeniculum vulgare | Honey bees, Solitary bees, Flies | seed | 3-great | temperate | |
| Strawberry | Fragaria spp. | Honey bees, Stingless bees, Bumblebees,Solitary bees (Halictus spp.), Hover flies | fruit | 2-modest | 1 | temperate |
| Soybean | Glycine max,Glycine soja | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | seed | 2-modest | temperate | |
| Stanhopea | Stanhopea | Male Euglossini bees (Orchid bees) | ||||
| Cotton | Gossypium spp. | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | seed, fiber | 2-modest | ||
| Sunflower | Helianthus annuus | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | seed | 2-modest | 1 | temperate |
| Walnut | Juglans spp. | Wind pollinated. | nut | temperate | ||
| Flax | Linum usitatissimum | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | seed | 1-little | temperate | |
| Lychee | Litchi chinensis | Honey bees, Flies | fruit | 1-little | ||
| Lupine | Lupinus angustifolius L. | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | seed | temperate | ||
| Macadamia | Macadamia ternifolia | Honey bees, Stingless bees (Trigona carbonaria), Solitary bees (Homalictus spp.),Wasps, Butterflies | nut | 4-essential | tropical | |
| Acerola | Malpighia glabra | Honey bees, Solitary bees | fruit (minor commercial value) | |||
| Apple | Malus domestica, orMalus sylvestris | Honey bees, orchard mason bee, Bumblebees,Solitary bees (Andrena spp., Halictus spp.,Osmia spp., Anthophora spp.), Hover flies(Eristalis cerealis, Eristalis tenax) | fruit | 3-great | 1, 2 semi dwarf, 3 dwarf | temperate |
| Mammee apple | Mammea americana | Bees | fruit | 2-modest | tropical | |
| Mango | Mangifera indica | Honey bees, Stingless bees, Flies, Ants, Wasps | fruit | 3-great | sub-tropical | |
| Sapodilla | Manikara zapotilla | Thrips | fruit | 4-essential | tropical | |
| Alfalfa | Medicago sativa | Alfalfa leafcutter bee, Alkali bee, Honey bees | seed | 1 | temperate | |
| Rambutan | Nephelium lappaceum | Honey bees, Stingless bees, Flies | fruit1-little | tropical | ||
| Cactus, Prickly pear | Opuntia spp. | Bumblebees, Solitary bees | fruit | 2-modest | ||
| Sainfoin | Onobrychis spp. | Honey bees, Solitary bees | seed | temperate | ||
| Passion fruit. Maracuja | Passiflora edulis | Carpenter bees, Solitary bees, Bumblebees,humming birds | fruit | 4-essential | tropical | |
| Avocado | Persea americana | Honey bees, Stingless bees, Solitary bees | fruit | 3-great | ||
| Lima bean, Kidney bean, Haricot bean, Adzuki bean, Mungo bean, String bean,Green bean | Phaseolus spp. | Honey bees, Solitary bees | fruit, seed | 1-little | ||
| Scarlet runner bean | Phaseolus coccineus L. | Bumblebees, Honey bees, Solitary bees, Thrips | seed | |||
| Allspice | Pimenta dioica | Honey bees, Solitary bees (Halictus spp.,Exomalopsis spp., Ceratina spp.) | 3-great | |||
| Apricot | Prunus armeniaca | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees, Flies | fruit | 3-great | 1 | temperate |
| Sweet Cherry | Prunus aviumspp. | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees, Flies | fruit | 3-great | temperate | |
| Sour cherry | Prunus cerasus | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees, Flies | fruit | 3-great | temperate | |
| Plum, Greengage,Mirabelle, Sloe | Prunus domestica,Prunus spinosa | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees, Flies | fruit | 3-great | 1 | temperate |
| Almond | Prunus dulcis,Prunus amygdalus, orAmygdalus communis | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees (Osmia cornuta), Flies | nut | 3-great | 2-3 | temperate |
| Peach, Nectarine | Prunus persica | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees, Flies | fruit | 3-great | 1 | temperate |
| Guava | Psidium guajava | Honey bees, Stingless bees, Bumblebees,Solitary bees (Lasioglossum spp.) | fruit | 2-modest | tropical | |
| Pomegranate | Punica granatum | Honey bees, Solitary bees, Beetles | fruit | 2-modest | ||
| Pear | Pyrus communis | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees, Hover flies (Eristalis spp.) | fruit | 3-great | 1 | temperate |
| Black currant, Red currant | Ribes nigrum,Ribes rubrum | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | fruit | 2-modest | temperate | |
| Rose hips, Dogroses | Rosa spp. | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Carpenter bees,Solitary bees, Hover flies | 3-great | temperate | ||
| Boysenberry | Rubus spp. | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | fruit | temperate | ||
| Raspberry | Rubus idaeus | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees, Hover flies (Eristalis spp.) | fruit | 3-great | 1 | temperate |
| Blackberry | Rubus fruticosus | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees, Hover flies (Eristalis spp.) | fruit | 3-great | temperate | |
| Elderberry | Sambucus nigra | Honey bees, Solitary bees, Flies, Longhorn beetles | fruit | 2-modest | temperate | |
| Sesame | Sesamum indicum | Honey bees, Solitary bees, Wasps, Flies | seed | 2-modest | ||
| Eggplant | Solanum melongena | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | fruit | 2-modest (pollinators important in green houses, but less in open fields) | temperate | |
| Naranjillo | Solanum quitoense | Bumblebees, Solitary bees | fruit | 3-great | tropical | |
| Rowanberry | Sorbus aucuparia | Honey bees, Solitary bees, Bumblebees, Hover flies | fruit | 4-essential | temperate | |
| Service Tree | Sorbus domestica | Bees, Flies | fruit | 2-modest | ||
| Hog plum | Spondias spp. | Honey bees, Stingless bees (Melipona spp.) | fruit | 1-little | ||
| Tamarind | Tamarindus indica | Honey bees (incl. Apis dorsata) | fruit | 1-little | ||
| Cocoa | Theobroma cacao | Midges | 4-essential | tropical | ||
| Clover (not all species) | Trifolium spp. | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | seed | 1 | temperate | |
| White clover | Trifolium alba | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | seed | 1 | temperate | |
| Alsike clover | Trifolium hybridum L. | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | seed | 1 | temperate | |
| Crimson clover | Trifolium incarnatum | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | seed | 1 | ||
| Red clover | Trifolium pratense | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | seed | 1 | temperate | |
| Arrowleaf clover | Trifolium vesiculosum Savi | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | seed | 1 | temperate | |
| Blueberry | Vaccinium spp. | Honey bees, Alfalfa leafcutter bees,Southeastern blueberry bee, Bumblebees(Bombus impatiens), Solitary bees (Anthophora pilipes, Colletes spp., Osmia ribifloris, Osmia lignaria) | fruit | 3-great | 3-4 | temperate |
| Cranberry | Vaccinium oxycoccus,Vaccinium macrocarpon | Honey bees, Bumblebees (Bombus affinis),Solitary bees (Megachile addenda, Alfalfa leafcutter bees) | fruit | 3 | temperate | |
| Vanilla | Vanilla planifolia,Vanilla pompona | Solitary bees | fruit | 4-essential | tropical | |
| Tung tree | Vernicia fordii | Honey bees | seed | |||
| Broad bean | Vicia faba | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | seed | 2-modest | ||
| Vetch | Vicia spp. | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | seed | temperate | ||
| Cowpea, Black-eyed pea, Blackeye bean | Vigna unguiculata | Honey bees, Bumblebees, Solitary bees | seed | 1-little | ||
| Karite | Vitellaria paradoxa | Honey bees | nut | 2-modest | temperate | |
| Tomato | Solanum lycopersicum | Bumblebees, Solitary bees (Halictus spp.) | fruit | temperate, tropical | ||
| Grape | Vitis spp. | Honey bees, Solitary bees, Flies | fruit | 0-no increase | temperate | |
| Jujube | Zizyphus jujuba | Honey bees, Solitary bees, Flies, Beetles,Wasps | fruit | 2-modest |