Hi All, A friend who grows pumpkins had a pollination problem last season. There were no bees in his area. They were probably wiped out by varroa. This year I put three hives on his property. According to him the fruit set is three times last year and the fruit is bigger than what he usually sees for this time of year. It has been dry this year. He said the bees are in the field till about 11 am. I think he has at least 20 acres in pumpkins/squash. The spring/early summer flow was good so I will keep this as a permanent yard and add more hives next year. My questions. Although he is happy with three colonies how many should there be per acre? Do bees make honey from pumpkins/squash? Frank Pellett's book on honey plants states that the honey is dark and poor quality. I have not seen dark honey in three years, especially since I started treating for mites and leaving the fall flow to the bees. I could use a little. By the way, if anyone was curious, the bear never returned, my family is still helping out a lot, and the cast came off last Wednesday. The Dr. said the bones mended quickly. Maybe the bee stings helped. I still have a "ton" of work to catch up on. But my patience has improved, a little. Thanks, Ron Bogansky Kutztown, PA