Apple orchards feed honey bees during, but even more so after, bloom

Many of the fruits that add diversity and nutrition to our diet are wholly or partially dependent upon flower-visiting insects. For example, apples (Malus spp.) self-incompatible therefore rely on insect pollinators for fruit development seed production. Honey bees (Apis mellifera) often migrated into these orchards when in bloom. While previous studies have focused impact honey orchards, fewer examined reciprocal relationship bees, particularly if orchard entire foraging season, not just during Here we investigated dynamics apple Virginia two full seasons (April–October, 2018–2019). We decoded, mapped, analyzed waggle dances (n = 3710) made by returning foragers, which communicate distance direction from hive valuable resources, usually nectar pollen. found foraged locally at <2 km throughout season both 2018 2019, with some long-range recruitment up 11 km. Contrary expectations, blooms did drive bee foraging. determined calculations percent (%) recruit more after bloom than (29.4% vs. 18.6% 28.5% 21.4% respectively). Interestingly, recruited forests while bloomed (36.9% 25.7% Lastly, odds ratio analysis, includes a correction, indicates were twice as likely June, is bloom, April May, Our ground truthing revealed post-bloom provided opportunities growing understory red white clover (Trifolium plantain (Plantago spp.). These data might important implications best management practice decisions located orchards.