Carpenter bees are the most effective pollinators of passion fruit. However, their populations can be small in some areas, raising concerns about sufficient pollination for these crops. In this project, I aimed to determine how much passion fruit pollination depends on carpenter bees and whether other bee species can provide adequate pollination. Additionally, I explored the use of trap nests as a strategy to boost carpenter bee populations in agricultural areas.

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The study revealed that the contribution of carpenter bees to passion fruit pollination varies depending on the crop species' floral biology and the abundance of other pollinators in the area. For instance, granadilla (Passiflora ligularis) is self-compatible, and other bee species are plentiful in its growing regions, making carpenter bees less critical for its pollination. In contrast, yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa) is self-incompatible and relies heavily on carpenter bees due to their specialized floral visitation behavior.

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While the trap nests had limited success in attracting carpenter bees, they provided valuable insights into the nesting biology of Xylocopa nasica. Read the full study here.