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Re: bee friends

> 
> Someone asked why I called the bumblebee, the champion pollinator.  Their
> weight and extended proboscis mean they can get at almost any flower's
> nectar and in doing so are sure to disturb the flower parts enough to
> insure pollination.  They are the only pollinators who can do the job on
> tomato flowers - commercial greenhouses growing tomatoes have found that
> bumblebees do a much better job than humans, even when equipped with
> electric toothbrushes.
> 
> Don Maroc
>

Don, 

I'm curious about these items.  You're comments are contrary to what I've
heard in the past.  I've been told that honey bees are better pollinators
than bumblebees, at least for fruit trees, because the honey bee will go 
methodically from flower to flower while the bumblebee skips around.  This 
seems to hold true from my observations.  Also, I've always been told that 
tomatoes don't need bees to pollinate.  The movement of the plant by the wind 
or shaking them is enough to distribute the pollen.

Any further insight would be greatly appreciated.

Chris
Lansdale, PA
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