Does pollen quality influence floral acceptance and foraging effectiveness of bumblebees?

Bumblebees play a pivotal role in ecosystems - they are not only major pollinators of the majority of our wildflowers, but they are also of enormous commercial importance due to the eco-services they provide by pollinating many arable and horticultural crops. Considering that the UK only has 6 relatively common species with other species facing national extinction, conservation & restoration of bumblebee species is vital. One main constraint current bumblebee populations face is the availability of a mosaic of habitats to provide for their nesting and feeding needs. Above all the presence of a variety of suitable flowers present throughout the season is crucial to ensure that the right quality of food (i.e. pollen & nectar) can be collected. The current limited floral choice in agricultural landscapes alongside the variable rewards all flowers/plants offer has led to certain pollen and nectar rich habitats becoming a particular benefit to bumblebees. These conservation initiatives are of high importance to the health of a hive as the reproductive success of a colony is reliant upon a consistent nutritious source of pollen. Yet the efficacy of floral species within seed mixture schemes in relation to the flower acceptance and foraging effectiveness of bumblebees is not fully understood. This study assessed and evaluated the complex biotic interactions of bumblebee communities on commercial seed mixtures. Our results will present an assessment of the proportion of pollen collection visits made by bumblebees (i.e. flower acceptance & foraging effectiveness) in relation to pollen quality (i.e. quantified protein contents).