Posted by Ted Shoemaker on April 8, 2011, 4:52 pm
What pollinates apples, besides bees?
I'd like to plant apple trees -- only a couple -- in my yard.
If I must have honeybees, then I'll look into the details of that.
But honeybees, who wander far, are likely to run into insecticides. I
live in a city, next to lots of neighbors and even a school. There's
no way to prevent them all from using bug-killer.
Thank you!
Ted Shoemaker
Posted by Nad R on April 8, 2011, 5:20 pm
> What pollinates apples, besides bees?
>
> I'd like to plant apple trees -- only a couple -- in my yard.
>
> If I must have honeybees, then I'll look into the details of that.
> But honeybees, who wander far, are likely to run into insecticides. I
> live in a city, next to lots of neighbors and even a school. There's
> no way to prevent them all from using bug-killer.
>
> Thank you!
>
> Ted Shoemaker
I do not have an such an item so i cannot tell you how well they work.
However google "Mason Bee house". This may bee what you are looking for.
Mason bees do not sting.
--
Enjoy Life... Nad R (Garden in zone 5a Michigan)
Posted by Steve Peek on April 8, 2011, 6:09 pm
> What pollinates apples, besides bees?
> I'd like to plant apple trees -- only a couple -- in my yard.
> If I must have honeybees, then I'll look into the details of that.
> But honeybees, who wander far, are likely to run into insecticides. I
> live in a city, next to lots of neighbors and even a school. There's
> no way to prevent them all from using bug-killer.
> Thank you!
> Ted Shoemaker
You're going to need honeybees. Neither apples nor honeybees are native to
North America, so there's no specific pollinator for the apples. Other
insects will work the blossoms, so pollination may occur but I would expect
the fruiting to be spotty.
Posted by Thos on April 8, 2011, 11:10 pm
Good grief. This kind of response is ridiculous.
>>Neither apples or honeybees are native to North America>>
Really??
There are bees pollinating plants and crops everywhere.
How in the world did Thomas Jefferson manage to pollinate his gorgeous
gardens almost 200 years ago? Yes, the bees were brought from Europe, but
they adapted with no problem. There are bees, and yes people use pesticides
but there are other insects that pollinate as well. Not just honeybees.
You can actually hand pollinate also, but not knowing the size of your
trees, that may not be possible.
Becoming a bee keeper is completely another discipline, and falls into the
category of "the more you learn, the more you learn you don't know". My
advice would be to just plant the trees and let nature take it's course.
Don't overthink it.
What zone are you in?
>> What pollinates apples, besides bees?
>>
>> I'd like to plant apple trees -- only a couple -- in my yard.
>>
>> If I must have honeybees, then I'll look into the details of that.
>> But honeybees, who wander far, are likely to run into insecticides. I
>> live in a city, next to lots of neighbors and even a school. There's
>> no way to prevent them all from using bug-killer.
>>
>> Thank you!
>>
>> Ted Shoemaker
> You're going to need honeybees. Neither apples nor honeybees are native to
> North America, so there's no specific pollinator for the apples. Other
> insects will work the blossoms, so pollination may occur but I would
> expect the fruiting to be spotty.
>
Posted by Steve Peek on April 9, 2011, 10:34 am
> Good grief. This kind of response is ridiculous.
>>>Neither apples or honeybees are native to North America>>
> Really??
REALLY!!!! Then pray tell me why orchardists pay beekepers thousands of
dollars every blooming season.
> There are bees pollinating plants and crops everywhere.
> How in the world did Thomas Jefferson manage to pollinate his gorgeous
> gardens almost 200 years ago?
Honeybees were first brought here by the pilgrams, by T. Jefferson's time
there were thousands of escaped "wild" colonies. If you do a tiny bit of
real research you'll find that almost all large fruit farmers at the time og
Jefferson were beekeepers as well.
Yes, the bees were brought from Europe, but
> they adapted with no problem. There are bees, and yes people use
> pesticides but there are other insects that pollinate as well. Not just
> honeybees. You can actually hand pollinate also, but not knowing the size
> of your trees, that may not be possible.
> Becoming a bee keeper is completely another discipline, and falls into the
> category of "the more you learn, the more you learn you don't know". My
> advice would be to just plant the trees and let nature take it's course.
> Don't overthink it.
> What zone are you in?
Which book did you get your information from? Mine came from the "book of
life", I've actually done it. I wouldn't presume to comment had I not.
>>
>>> What pollinates apples, besides bees?
>>>
>>> I'd like to plant apple trees -- only a couple -- in my yard.
>>>
>>> If I must have honeybees, then I'll look into the details of that.
>>> But honeybees, who wander far, are likely to run into insecticides. I
>>> live in a city, next to lots of neighbors and even a school. There's
>>> no way to prevent them all from using bug-killer.
>>>
>>> Thank you!
>>>
>>> Ted Shoemaker
>>
>> You're going to need honeybees. Neither apples nor honeybees are native
>> to North America, so there's no specific pollinator for the apples. Other
>> insects will work the blossoms, so pollination may occur but I would
>> expect the fruiting to be spotty.
>>
XML site map
>
> I'd like to plant apple trees -- only a couple -- in my yard.
>
> If I must have honeybees, then I'll look into the details of that.
> But honeybees, who wander far, are likely to run into insecticides. I
> live in a city, next to lots of neighbors and even a school. There's
> no way to prevent them all from using bug-killer.
>
> Thank you!
>
> Ted Shoemaker