Wild bees nest in the stems of cultivated Rubus plants and act as effective crop pollinators

In order to act as effective agricultural pollinators wild bees must not only pollinate the target crop, but also have nesting behaviours that allow them nest nearby or in situ. To establish their potential crop we studied stem-nesting genus Exoneura, and around Rubus berry farms Yarra Valley, Australia, where they had been observed forested areas. Honey (Apis mellifera L.) are used managed of crops, found a single Exoneura visit blackberry (Rubus fruticosus L. sp. agg.) was equivalent honey bee visit, causing three-fold increase drupelet count. We on farm stems raspberry idaeus plants, at an estimated density 3320 per hectare. Nests were more likely be narrow upright, suggesting pruning strategies could focus preserving select suitable for nesting. abundant flowers when local high (at 50 m) there native vegetation cover (1 km), indicating flexible selection habitat able farm, with broader-scaled abundance still influenced by presence vegetation.