Pollinating happening without the bees

[Johnny]

Have yet to see first bee this season. Seems like a number of wasps are buzzing around garden and apparently ants are pollinating my squash and cucumbers and both seem to be doing well here in Atlanta. Tomatoes planted mid March are bursting with fruit some of which are about market size but still green. Good supply of bush beans are ready every day. Johnny

Great resource for gardening articles:

[Garbodanno]

I haven't seen any bees either but so far everything is producing.

[Carl 1 Lucky Texan]

An older guy at my in-law's retirement comm. keeps a lot of hives and is seeing MASSIVE amounts of honey. No 'hive collapse' PLUS vastly increased production. Last year was drought conditions but so far thois year we've had a lot of rain.

Carl

[John Bachman]

Same here in NH. My beekeeper friend is reporting a good year with

30% winter loses - normal for him and below normal for others in the area. The colonies he keeps on my property are busy, busy, busy.

The reports of bee problems may be isolated to areas that use single crop practices. Our honey bees are happily servicing the clover that I use for ground cover, the raspberries and strawberries. Of course they covered the fruit trees when they were in bloom. My friend believes that provided a varied and balanced food supply has much to do with the good results.

For those who think that I am a heathen because I use insecticides, I do so right next to the bee hives with no ill effects. Maybe I ain't such a bad guy after all.

John

[Ann]

John Bachman expounded:

New England in general didn't suffer as much from colony collapse, more from the strange winter. All of our hives (in MA and ME) are doing extremely well.

The need for variety is true, however, there is also no proof that the bee problems are isolated to areas of single crop practices. The experts have not spoken, the internet rumors are rampant.

Depends entirely on what kinds of insecticides. No matter, I'd still not be very pleased with a neighbor who uses insecticides. We're on the no spray list with the county, also, so they won't be spraying for mosquitos near our hives.

[Usenet2007]

My understanding is that tomatoes are wind-pollinated.

[Charles]

story in Today's (Sunday) LA Times

[Charles]

also

[Ann]

Charles expounded:

Can you sum it up?

[Jim Kingdon]

Well, not exactly, this is a somewhat complicated story. See for example:

short version is that outdoors, it is unlikely to be a problem, but if growing tomatoes indoors, you may need to shake them (or do something else, as described in that article), to get them to pollinate themselves.

[Sheldon]

Along with many other insects I have lots of hummingbirds... I feed the hummers their sweet juice but they are very busy among all the blooms too.