Some three hundred bumble bee species are known, most of which live in temperate regions in Europe, Asia and North America. When selecting a suitable candidate for large-scale production, the following criteria are used:
- the species must be widely spread;
- the species must produce large, long-lived colonies;
- it must be possible to produce the species in captivity;
- the species must be suitable for pollination of a wide range of crops;
- and the species must show the vibrating behaviour (buzz pollination) that is required for pollination of a number of crops, including tomato and aubergine.
On the basis of these criteria, the earth bumble bee Bombus terrestris was chosen for the European market. This species is also produced in Israel and New Zealand for the local markets. For the North American market the locally produced species Bombus impatiens and Bombus occidentalis were chosen for the eastern and western parts of North America respectively. On the Canaries the local species Bombus canariensis is used.
