8
Sep 2020

Bees escaping the greenhouse

Bees escaping the greenhouse

Spring has arrived

 

For greenhouse crops that use bumble bees to pollinate this article is a timely reminder!  It always happened, when the orchard next door was flowering during spring, the bees from my greenhouse would be more attracted to the flowering trees, they were obviously much greener pastures!  This was a major pain in the ‘you know what ‘as it effected the set on my trusses. It is very important to increase bee pressure at this time of the year as not only is there more competition from outside but also truss and flowering speed are increasing quickly as the light intensity and day length increase. 

Making sure sequential and fast setting is occurring for growers harvesting truss is crucial as appearance and uniformity of the set is important.  I never quite found the perfect solution to this.  My approach was to regularly monitor the truss to flower ratio.   Too many flowers open and the lack of a bruise on the flower were my indicators.

Extra laterals will mean extra flowers open and you can quickly gauge the extra work load required of the bumble bees.  Cherry toms will be flowering faster than I can write this so regular, scheduled bumble bee hive replacements are recommended.   In a scenario where you may order two hives every two weeks split them up to one every week. 

Another tip is to keep the hives out of direct sunlight and don’t stack them on top of each other.   

This week I had a conversation with an ex grower, in regards to the best workers in the greenhouse, we both agreed were the humble bumble bees.  I just hope they never catch onto holiday entitlements! 

 

I appreciate your comments.  Please feel free to comment on the grower2grower Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/StefanGrower2grower/

Article Written and compiled by Stefan Vogrincic, Consultant, Grower2Grower

Article Edited by Marie Vogrincic, Editor, Grower2Grower

CLASSIFIED

Subscribe to our E-Zine

Sign up here to subscribe to the Grower2grower Ezine. Every two weeks you will receive new articles, specific to the protected cropping industry, informing you of industry news and events straight to your inbox.

More

From This Category

TomatoesNZ fact finding mission report
April 22, 2025
TomatoesNZ fact finding mission report
European Tour of Learning. In February 2025, a group of 6 people representing the NZ covered crop industry, travelled to Europe to embark on a fact finding mission that included attending Fruit Logistica in Berlin and a series of meetings with suppliers around the Netherlands.
Project Spotlight: A Smarter Future for Botanica Nurseries
April 22, 2025
Project Spotlight: A Smarter Future for Botanica Nurseries
In the heart of Silverdale, NSW, something exciting is growing
Horticentre Charitable Trust Continues as Exclusive Sponsor of Grower2Grower 2025
April 8, 2025
Horticentre Charitable Trust Continues as Exclusive Sponsor of Grower2Grower 2025
"Together we share a goal of offering future growers, and existing growers, a tool set, of credible trusted information, to achieve better outcomes".
BASF launches Sokalan® CP 301: a readily biodegradable dispersant with optimal performance for stable agricultural formulations
April 7, 2025
BASF launches Sokalan® CP 301: a readily biodegradable dispersant with optimal performance for stable agricultural formulations
Sokalan® CP 301 bridges a market gap by offering a high-performing and readily biodegradable alternative to existing dispersants
Program launched to unlock grower solutions for Australia’s biggest horticulture challenges  
March 25, 2025
Program launched to unlock grower solutions for Australia’s biggest horticulture challenges  
'For Australian growers and those across the horticulture supply chain'
BerryWorld Strawberries Win Gold at 2025 Outstanding Food Producers Awards
March 25, 2025
BerryWorld Strawberries Win Gold at 2025 Outstanding Food Producers Awards
"We are thrilled to receive this gold medal at the Outstanding Food Producers Awards"
CLASSIFIED