Bothersome Bee

[Lee]

While I usually focus my critter deterrent efforts on the
troublesome deer, rabbits, and birds that decimate a garden harvest rather quickly, I found myself in an usual situation today.


A bumble bee was floating around the tomato plants trying to collect pollen.... not good if I'm going to save seed... which now will be limited to the earlier ripening fruit.


Alas, I began chasing this bee around the garden and away from the tomato plants. (Fortunately no one was around to observe this crazy behavior..)
For some reason, the bumble bee had his mind set on the tomato blossoms. Perhaps the pepper, bean, cucumber, or squash blossoms were not to his liking.
Perhaps he was trying to avoid the honey bees collecting pollen from the other sources.
Perhaps he was trying to help me create new amazing varieties for future growouts. (He did seem to start with the Sungold plant...)


Eventually he got tired of me shooing him away and flew off.


Anyone else want to fess up to such sillyness in their gardens?


Lee

[KarenO]

the good news is that open blossoms attractive to bees are almost always already self pollinated
KarenO

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by Lee

While I usually focus my critter deterrent efforts on the
troublesome deer, rabbits, and birds that decimate a garden harvest rather quickly, I found myself in an usual situation today.


A bumble bee was floating around the tomato plants trying to collect pollen.... not good if I'm going to save seed... which now will be limited to the earlier ripening fruit.


Alas, I began chasing this bee around the garden and away from the tomato plants. (Fortunately no one was around to observe this crazy behavior..)
For some reason, the bumble bee had his mind set on the tomato blossoms. Perhaps the pepper, bean, cucumber, or squash blossoms were not to his liking.
Perhaps he was trying to avoid the honey bees collecting pollen from the other sources.
Perhaps he was trying to help me create new amazing varieties for future growouts. (He did seem to start with the Sungold plant...)


Eventually he got tired of me shooing him away and flew off.


Anyone else want to fess up to such sillyness in their gardens?


Lee

Yes, My husband had the same problem last year, than he found Honey on our property. It was good.

[slugworth]

I have so many bushes and wild plants with blossoms now the bees take a detour.
Like all you can eat buffet vs just a snack.
Once those disappear,the bees will go to the tomatoes.

[PaulF]

Four years ago the number of bumblebees in our yard and gardens went from a whole bunch to zero. Three years ago we had none. Two years ago there were a couple buzzing around. Last year we saw six or eight of two different varieties. This year we have three different kinds with a whole bunch in the flower beds. I keep reading that bees in general and bumblebee in particular are endangered due to overuse of chemicals and a couple of diseases. We are very happy we see a resurgence.

We make sure to plant flowers so that there are blooms all summer long. We see lots of different pollinators and that makes me happy. Cukes, melons, squashes, green beans all do better the more pollinators. Tomatoes and peppers rarely have any bees including bumbles in my gardens. Maybe all the flowers are more enticing.

Bumblebees are pretty gentle as a rule unless like my wife you run a weed eater right over their in-ground nest. Then they will sting and it hurts according to the stingee.

[slugworth]

Winter tomatoes indoors are a lot smaller than when the bees do their thing on them outdoors in summer.

[MrsJustice]

Originally Posted by slugworth

Winter tomatoes indoors are a lot smaller than when the bees do their thing on them outdoors in summer.

Thank you for that information because I did not eat my Heirloom tomatoes grown in the winter for the first time because they were much smaller than normal. I understand now, Amen!!

Me and my husband looked into that old tree stump were we found the honey last year, but it's all gone this year.

[slugworth]

That is after hitting the blossoms with my battery powered electric toothbrush even.
I have a plant in a windowsill that isn't 100% airtight,so the breeze actually worked better
than tickling. 6 and 8oz size which is BLT worthy.
I have 2 turning red and next week will be the weigh-in.I keep hacking the plant down but
it grows 1 foot per week. The 23rd it will be 10 months old.

[slugworth]

Originally Posted by MrsJustice

Thank you for that information because I did not eat my Heirloom tomatoes grown in the winter for the first time because they were much smaller than normal. I understand now, Amen!!

An autopsy would have shown only a few seeds.

[slugworth]

I saw a yellow jacket walking in the garden today.
Too lazy to fly or some other issues.