Good pollination is essential for fruit yield and quality. However, the population of bees (honeybees, wild bees), the primary pollinators, is decreasing. Pollinators are often present in too few numbers in intensive fruit orchards, also organic ones.

Mason bees, which fly at lower temperatures (4°C on) compared to honeybees, are placed into the orchards just before flowering to improve pollination.

Using mason bees can ensure optimal pollination in intensive fruit orchards when naturally occurring pollinators are not (yet) present or are too few. Practical recommendations The two most important managed wild bees for fruit crops pollination are the European orchard bee (Osmia cornuta) and the Red mason bee (Osmia bicornis), both mason bees.