Re: AG THOUGHTS what else

Contained in Bellevue Manor's latest missive was:

> Is it really neccesary for one to cover the male flowers as well? And why?

Yes.   Bees visit the male flowers to collect pollen.  As
someone else mentioned, their visits will reduce the amount
of pollen available.  More importantly, bees visit many
flowers from many sources and the pollen in the pollen
baskets on their legs and in the hair on their bodies will
"contaminate" the pollen in the flower with pollen from 
unknown sources as it brushes off.  

Although individual honey bees exhibit "flower fidelity"
where they visit many flowers of the same type, when they
drop off their load of pollen in the hive they come in
contact with pollen from many other sources when they
transfer their load to the house bees which then pack it
into the comb.  (This in-hive pollen transfer has been
shown to be of primary importance in almond crops where a
"pollinator" variety is required since almonds aren't 
self-fertile)).  This in-hive mixing can bring foreign
pollen into your unsuspecting male flowers from as far as
four miles away and can cause your next generation of
pumpkins to be crosses with any c. maxima (e.g. Cinderalla)
growing with in a radius of several miles.  

As in human affairs, an ounce of prevention is worth several
pounds of trouble.  :-)

Shaun 
Beekeeper and AG grower in Spokane, WA

-- 
"The easiest way to deal with a Word attachment in email is to delete it."
                                                            --BAPper

polaris@wolfenet.com  ++  PGP email welcome
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