As with many questions, the answer to this one is...it depends. All species of bees have evolved specific body part forms, physiological adaptations and behavioral characteristics that have allowed them to maximize their survival and reproduction in specific geographic locales and the associated plant communities. As a result of this some bees are more efficient (on a per individual basis) than others as pollinators of certain plant species. Bumble bees in general have several unique characteristics...they tend to have long "tongues" (proboscis) that allow them access to nectaries in long floral corolla species and so they tend to be highly attracted to and efficiently pollinate large clover cultivars. They also possess a behavior referred to as "buzz pollination" in which they vibrate at high frequencies the anthers of certain flowers (those with tubular anthers, ie. poricidal anthers) to dislodge the pollen. Because of this they are very adept at pollinating Solanaceous crops such as tomato and another plant with poricidal anthers, blueberry. Bumble bees also have a physiological adaption to cold weather. They are hot blooded, meaning that they can raise their body temperature and forage on flowers at times when it is too cold for many other pollinators (

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