Bumblebees have a superpower, and it is buzz pollination

Bumblebees are a type of bee that usually live in little groups, but do not produce honey.

They live in many parts of the world, and there are many different types of bumblebees, but the most 'popular' one that helps us humans in the agricultural sector is Bombus impatiens.

They help us pollinate many many crops, but are mostly used with crops that have the right flower shape that is best adapted by their bigger bodies, and therefore benefit from them more. Their main way of pollinating crops is a type of pollination called buzz pollination, when the bee essentially vibrates, helping the pollen fall around the different parts of the flower, and help the plant produce fruit.

Bumblebees are particularly effective in the pollination of cranberries, blueberries, apples, sweet pepper, and very importantly – tomatoes. Tomatoes are mostly produced in greenhouses, and these round bees are particularly important for these types of farms because they can work in lower light conditions and are better at pollinating in cool or humid environments.

Bees can certainly also pollinate vertical farms, but it may be more challenging for them to do so compared to traditional horizontal farms. Vertical farms are often grown in indoor environments using hydroponic or aeroponic systems, which are different from the natural environments where bees typically pollinate plants.

Additionally, vertical farms often have limited space and may not have the same variety of flowering plants as outdoor environments, which could limit the bees’ access to pollen sources. Moreover, vertical farms often use LED lighting which may not have the same spectrum of light that attracts bees as natural sunlight.

That being said, there are ways to overcome these challenges and facilitate bee pollination in vertical farms. For example, some vertical farms use artificial pollination methods, such as vibrating the flowers or manually transferring pollen, to ensure successful pollination, but that method costs a lot – and is very time consuming. Some farms also use specialized LED lighting that is designed to attract pollinators like bees.

Ultimately, while there may be challenges to bee pollination in vertical farms, it is possible to facilitate it with proper planning and techniques – and that’s what Buzzup is here for. Buzzup realizes precision pollination, offering pollination monitoring and optimization programs to farmers, beekeepers, food producers and researchers. Using the company's technologies, the company increases crop yields by up to 20% and improves the taste, color and vitamin content of the fruit.

More than 80% of the food we consume depends on pollination, as it is through pollination that the maximum yield and quality potential of crops is achieved. For this, pollination is not enough; it must be efficient and effective so as to prevent the risk of reduced crop yields, malformations and small crops, as well as contributing to fruit diseases.

This is why Buzzup offers an impactful, affordable, sustainable and result-oriented solution, which is continuously observed through daily data monitoring and regular reports.