# bees workin watermelons



## dcross (Jan 20, 2003)

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


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## swabby (Jun 6, 2008)

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:


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## Velbert (Mar 19, 2006)

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


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## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

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.


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## randydrivesabus (Apr 27, 2006)

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


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## be lote (Mar 26, 2008)

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


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## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

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


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## randydrivesabus (Apr 27, 2006)

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


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## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

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


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## AJ Boss (May 30, 2012)

So from the bees stand point do melons tend to hav enough nectar?


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## Beetrucker74 (Oct 10, 2010)

Bravo still kills bees.


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## ga.beeman (Mar 29, 2009)

about every third row should a seeded variety for the cross pollination. And two hives per acre is what they recommend for seedless


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