This part of the research focused on foraging preferences of honey bees and also bumblebees. Tested plant species partly belong to the contract supported list of species (defined by the state, but we also included some additional species to provide wider range of species and some recent ornamental species). The experiment was performed with the support of the Estonian Society of Professional Beekeepers.
Even now, when frosts occur over the night, in a few sun warmed-up moments our honey bees still forage on last flowering plants of the experiment.
Hopefully an innovation is on the way, as professional apiarists were surprised on the still ongoing flower provision service as well on revival of some old well known foraging species. The first volunteer for the next summer to test EFFECT’s ideas already occurred.
We see that the availability of seeds might become the major limitation for the innovation.
