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Path: utzoo!linus!wivax!decvax!harpo!floyd!vax135!ariel!hou5f!hou5e!ijk
From: ijk@hou5e.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.garden
Subject: Pollinating Tomato Plants - WHERE Have All the BEES Gone????
Message-ID: <585@hou5e.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 24-Jun-83 09:52:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: hou5e.585
Posted: Fri Jun 24 09:52:53 1983
Date-Received: Sat, 25-Jun-83 18:00:21 EDT
Organization: American Bell ED&D, Holmdel, NJ
Lines: 30

This year, as in the past years, I have noticed a slowness in my tomato
flowers in producing actual fruits.  The problem seems to be a noticeable
lack of bees - although I live in a small town, it is moderately 
wooded and green.  In an effort to get bees to visit my garden, I have
even set out small containers of honey - but, they remain untouched!!!
Obviously, I'm doing something wrong (could it be the bargain brand
of honey I'm using {gourmet bees???} ?).  Should I try something else,
or try  spreading the honey on imitation flowers.  There are some 
flowering plants around the house, but they don't seem to be visited
by bees - any flowers that particularly attract bees????  And where
have all the bees gone ?? Has gypsy - moth spraying killed them off??
(The implications of that seem bad for farming in general).  All
spring, I have only noticed one bumble- bee, and he must have just been
passing thru.

Is there anything else I can do (take a Q-tip and rub the flowers??)
Note, I am aware of a chemical called something like Tomato - Set
that can be obtained from garden centers, but I am reluctant to use it
(and even then, it says not to use it more than 3 times, which limits
its praticality) - probably causes the tomato to cause cancer, or 
something worse.  Besides, that's what bees get paid for, right?

All suggestions gratefully considered and thanks in advance:

28
Ihor Kinal,
American Bell
Holmdel, 31  Holmdel,
New Jersey ( where maybe the pollution has finally  caught up with us).
hou5e!ijk