----- Original Message ----- 
From: Geoff Seers 
To: [log in to unmask] 
Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2004 9:17 AM
Subject: Tomato Pollination


I have had honeybees pollinate tomatoes in a glasshouse, there was no outside access so I was feeding them sugar syrup, because there was nothing else they worked the tomatoes for pollen. To get at this pollen they tore open the sides of the flowers.

We did not continue the experiment as I was frightened they might spread disease through the 40,000 hydroponic tomatoes in the glasshouse & the owner was worried by all the dead bees on his concrete floor. I didn't tell him that with a good Queen laying thousands of eggs a day there are normally lots of bees dying every day, although when they are scattered around the paddocks you don't see them.
Regards,
Geoff Seers

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