Bees and Tomato Pollination

[wkamason]

Hi from an OK. beekeeper. FYI bees don't pollinate tomatoes.

[rainbowgardener]

Welcome to the forum! We love beekeepers. You folks may end up being saviors of the world-as-we-know-it. How are your bees doing? Are you having any trouble with colony collapse disorder?

I don't keep bees, but I do grow tons of flowers that they like, organically with no poisons ever. I've seen a few honeybees this season, but not nearly the numbers we used to have.

[Kisal]

Welcome! It's nice to have you join us!

I live in a city, but beekeeping is a very popular hobby in my neighborhood. Six of my near neighbors keep bees. Lots of bees around here.

[The Helpful Gardener]

Hey WKAM

You are right about the tomatoes; they are self fertile...

But it turns out that a bee buzzes at EXACTLY the right frequency to cause the self-pollination in the tomato, so they still help out heaps... in commercial greenhouses they often use electric toothbrushes to mimic the bees...

Welcome!

HG

[jal_ut]

Tomatoes need a little shake to pollinate. A bee will help and bees do work the blossoms a bit, however its not a favorite flower. Usually the breeze is enough to shake the plants and get them pollinated. Hothouse tomatoes need a shake.