It is vital that growers introduce migratory honeybees and/or bumble bees.  According to Anne Averill, Entomologist with the University of Massachusetts Cranberry Station “Similar to many other fruit crops, bees are needed for adequate pollination.  Cranberry flowers are not capable of self fertilization so pollinators are required to move pollen from one flower to another.”  Several pollination visits are needed to ensure good berry development.  

For more information on bees, see our page on pollination (http://www.cranberries.org/cranberries/grow_pollination.html)