Hello to all bee-liners. My name is Ana Maria Quinones, I am
from Quito-Ecuador. Some of you already know me, since this is
the second letter I am sending to the list.
 
The work I am carrying out is related to the production of sexual seed on
Oxalis tuberosa Mol. (an andean tuber) using honeybees for this
purpose.  Since I need the seed to come from specific crosses
(avoiding any type of pollen contamination) I am working inside confined
areas. Inside each compartment I put 8 plants, a nuc (of 5 frames),
enough water and sugar solution.  For the first month of work the bees
made an excellent pollination work, producing a high average of seed
per fruit.  Neverhtless, the last week they  stopped pollinating
my plants. I exclude the possibily of weather conditions since they
have been excellent on this last month.  I am not feeding them with
pollen because I want them to be in the need of searching for it,
incentivating pollination.  Maybe the stressed conditions to which my
bees are submissed are affecting the queen laying rate, and if no brood
exists then the bees will not have the need for pollen search.
 
If any of you know which problems are the ones that are affecting
my hive and how to solve them please let me know. I want to find out
how can I incentivate again pollination activity under stressed conditions.
 
I also have a problem with pollen contamination, my new crosses are getting
contaminated with pollen from the crosses made before.  My question is
Which minimum of days should I leave my hive without plants to be sure
that the bees are completely clean (without pollen) , and could a bee
deposit all the pollen collected on one day ?.
 
I will appreciate your help, since here in Ecuador this work is the
first done. I do not have any bibliography or anybody who could
directly help me, besides all of you !!!
 
Greetings (saludos),
 
                      Ana Maria Quinones
 
 
--
        Ana Maria Quinones
        Centro Internacional de la Papa
        P.O.Box 17-21-1977
        Quito, Ecuador
        Telf. (593-2) 690-362/690-363 Internet: [log in to unmask]