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From:
Adony Melathopoulos <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 29 Sep 2003 11:54:38 -0400
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Journal of Economic Entomology: Vol. 96, No. 3, pp. 547-554.

Managing Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) for Greenhouse Tomato
Pollination
Holly A. Sabara and Mark L. Winston

ABSTRACT

Although commercially reared colonies of bumble bees (Bombus sp.) are
the primary pollinator world-wide for greenhouse tomatoes (Lycopersicon
esculentum Mill.) previous research indicates that honey bees (Apis
mellifera L.) might be a feasible alternative or supplement to bumble
bee pollination. However, management methods for honey bee greenhouse
tomato pollination scarcely have been explored. We 1) tested the effect
of initial amounts of brood on colony population size and flight
activity in screened greenhouses during the winter, and 2) compared
foraging from colonies with brood used within screened and unscreened
greenhouses during the summer. Brood rearing was maintained at low
levels in both brood and no-brood colonies after 21 d during the winter,
and emerging honey bees from both treatments had significantly lower
weights than bees from outdoor colonies. Honey bee flight activity
throughout the day and over the 21 d in the greenhouse was not
influenced by initial brood level. In our summer experiment, brood
production in screened greenhouses neared zero after 21 d but higher
levels of brood were reared in unscreened greenhouses with access to
outside forage. Flower visitation measured throughout the day and over
the 21 d the colonies were in the greenhouse was not influenced by
screening treatment. An economic analysis indicated that managing honey
bees for greenhouse tomato pollination would be financially viable for
both beekeepers and growers. We conclude that honey bees can be
successfully managed for greenhouse tomato pollination in both screened
and unscreened greenhouses if the foraging force is maintained by
replacing colonies every 3 wk.


Keywords: honey bee, Apis mellifera, pollination, greenhouse, tomatoes,
colony management.

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