SYNTHETIC HONEY-BEE (HYMENOPTERA, APIDAE) QUEEN MANDIBULAR GLAND PHEROMONE APPLICATIONS AFFECT PEAR AND SWEET CHERRY POLLINATION

Synthetic honey bee queen mandibular pheromone, Fruit Boost, was appli ed to 'Anjou' pear, Pyrus communus I,., and 'Bing'-type sweet cherry t rees, Prunus avium L., in bloom using air blast sprayers. In pear, the application of 1,000 queen equivalents of active ingredients per hect are resulted in a 7% increase in fruit size and a $400 per hectare net increase in income, although there were no significant increases in b ee visits or fruit set in treated Versus untreated plots. Two consecut ive pheromone applications were not significantly different than a sin gle application. In cherry, sprays of 100 or 500 queen equivalents per hectare did not affect bee visits, fruit set, or fruit size. Our resu lts show that applications of mandibular pheromone can enhance pollina tion in pear but not in sweet cherry.