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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Michael Palmer <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 27 May 2004 06:40:43 -0400
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>
>any thoughts folks do bees visit tomato flowers??


Tomatoes are "buzz" pollinated flowers. The pollen is up inside the
flowers, and won't descend until the flower is "buzzed." Did you ever watch
a Bumblebee pollinate? They are noisy little critters, buzzing each flower
as they gather nectar and pollen. When they visit a tomato flower, they
grab on and buzz. This allows the pollen to descend from inside the flower,
to where it is needed. Tomato growers even have a tool to do this. It is a
little hand operated buzzer on a stick. They hook it onto the flower spur,
and give the flowers a good buzz. The pollen descends, and the flower is
pollinated.

         What did the bumblebee say to the tomato?...."Wanna catch a buzz?"

Mike


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