bees workin watermelons

[be lote]

tryin to help a freind out . he got 6 acres of seedless watermelons just startin to flowerin in a L shaped feild.
the feild aint no more than 150 feet wide an L bout 3 acres up. the feild has a graduler rise. he said he want a hive a acre an to put em at the bottom
of the feild out of the way- he has been stung bad by bees before-. i been back to that feild one time at 10 am one time at 12 one time at 3 an one time after 6. i aint seen a bee yet workin them flowers an i walked that patch but they pullin pollen from some where.


1 would you take 1/2 the hives an put em at the L in the feild
2 do i got enough bees on em
3 any thoughts

[dcross]

Do seedless watermelons need bees? Do they produce anything attractive to them?

[swabby]

Can't speak from personal exprience ,but I've been told bees will starve to death on watermelons. Plenty of pollen but very little nectar. Just a thought. :doh:

[Velbert]

we placed bees on 50 acres of yellow straight-neck squash it was about the 15 June took in a load of bees on a Thursday then again on Friday night so I just spent the night in the truck so I could check the hives out the next day. I was up it was just cracking day light the bees were covering the squash up Between 9-10 am they had quit working them. Usually the things that produce lot of pollen the bees will work these plants abundant in the early mornings then as the day heats up the plants that produce more nectar began to produce the bees will start working them Don't know about the watermelon's . may be like the squash plants

[Trevor Mansell]

I do some watermelon pollination in Fl . The bees will work them but they dont make much of a living. The rule is usually 2 hives per acre. They work the bloom throughout the day. Seedless melons require some type of pollination.

[randydrivesabus]

seedless melons require planting with seeded melons that bloom at the same time as the seedless ones for polination.

[be lote]

yup every 5th plant is a pollinater in this patch. can find some sets an did see a few workin em this am but started sprayin bravo so didnt walk it hard.

apreciate it

[JohnK and Sheri]

Wow he must be a pretty good friend if you let him spray Bravo while your bees are working that patch.
Sheri

[randydrivesabus]

isn't Bravo for fungus control? It probably has no effect on insects.

[JohnK and Sheri]

I initially thought Bravo was a neonicitinoid (sp?), but looks like I mixed the name up with Provado. Sheesh, why don't they just call these things by what they are.....
Sheri