pollination of Tomates

[LSPender]

Has anyone ever been hired to pollinate Tomatoes? Recieved call today from farm operation that wants bees on their Tomates, I have never done , nor heard of honeybees pollinating tomates. If so # of bees hives per acer, this farm has 25 aces.

[Cris]

Commercial hothouse tomatoes are polinated by bumbles usually.

[JRG13]

Honey bees don't work tomatoes that often if at all, they do not know how to sonicate the flowers to release the pollen as bumbles do and nectar is negligible. Tomatoes self pollinate pretty well anyways, but hey, if they wanna pay you to move your bees out there and it's worth it......

[Rader Sidetrack]

Honey bees don't work tomatoes that often if at all, they do not know how to sonicate the flowers to release the pollen as bumbles do ......

Thanks for the education, I had never before seen the word sonicate. Here are a couple of links with more info about sonicate (or buzz pollination):

http://pollinator.com/self_pollinating_tomato.htm
http://faculty.pittstate.edu/~dgordo...text_frame.htm

[JRG13]

Yeah, some people use those sonic toothbrushes to do it in the garden. Not really necessary imo but you'd be surprised how much pollen is released.