Cucumbers are developing brown spots from a bee

[hollymayjones]

Hi Everyone!

I am new to this, and this is my first time ever being on a forum, but I am desperate. I have planted cucumbers, and they just started developing little cucumbers approx 5 days ago. The problem is there is a bee that is inserting it's stinger into the cucumber, and then a drop of clear jelly-like substance develops from the area that the bee had infected, and in a day it turns into a amber colored substance, and leaves brown spots on the cucumber. When I cut one open there was also brown areas inside the cucumber. Can anybody tell me what this bee is, and how to kill it? I am living and working in Madagascar with nationals, so resources are pretty non- existent, except for what comes from nature! Thank you!

[imafan26]

It looks more like wasps and not bees. Bees are essential for pollinating some cucumbers naturally, unless you have parthenocarpic cucumbers.

You can protect your cucumbers by making a sleeve for the cucumber out of newspaper and securing it around (not through) the stem of the cucumber vine with a skewer. After pollination, you could also use a paper bag to cover the cucumber fruit. the newspaper and bag would have to be replaced if they get too wet. This bagging method also works for fruit flies.

I have also made my own bags out of netting and paint filter bags. The netting works for fruit flies, but the birds break into them. The bag must be loose enough for the fruit to grow and not right up against the skin of the fruit. Paint filter bags are opaque, so you have to check on the fruit to see when it is ripe and my birds see all bags as invitations to open them.

[!potatoes!]

can't recommend anything in particular to deal with it, but those aren't bees or wasps. they're flies of some sort, laying eggs, probably. no stinger involved.

[applestar]

NOT very on topic, but doesn't that fruit look ready to be picked -- jus ding by the appearance of the blossom end?