Foraging distance in Bombus terrestris L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

A major determinant of bumblebees pollination efficiency is the distance of pollen dispersal, which depends on the foraging distance of workers. We employ a transect setting, controlling for both forage and nest location, to assess the foraging distance of Bombus terrestris workers and the influence of environmental factors on foraging frequency over distance. The mean foraging distance of B. terrestris workers was 267.2 m +/- 180.3 m (max. 800 m). Nearly 40% of the workers foraged within 100 m around the nest. B. terrestris workers have thus rather moderate foraging ranges if rewarding forage is available within vicinity of the nests. We found the spatial distribution and the quality of forage plots to be the major determinants for the bees foraging decision-making, explaining over 80% of the foraging frequency. This low foraging range has implications for using B. terrestris colonies as pollinators in agriculture.