AP reports on new bee-mapping tool for Maine blueberry growers
The Associated Press reported on a new tool developed by University of Maine scientists that allows blueberry growers to learn how many bees they can expect to see around their fields. “BeeMapper” will be unveiled July 19 at Blueberry Hill Farm in Jonesboro as part of the UMaine Cooperative Extension’s annual Wild Blueberry Summer Field Day. UMaine doctoral candidate Brianne Du Clos, who led the development of BeeMapper, said it will give farmers a better understanding of predicted abundance of wild bees in the landscapes that surround their crop fields. The tool will help farmers budget for honeybee hives if they know the numbers and types of wild bees in the areas around their fields, the article states. Maine Public, WABI (Channel 5), WLBZ(Channel 2) and The Sacramento Bee carried the AP report.