Last week we saw the first signs of summer squash from the Ward Brothers Farm, expanded further this week with availability on yellow and zucchini squash from the Bunce Brothers Farm in Stedman, NC. While these two growers have had timely harvests on their first crop, many other local growers have seen delays, the result of limited bee activity in April.

While some crops are self-pollinating, or can rely on the wind for the spread of pollen, many others must rely almost exclusively on bees for pollination. Yellow squash, zucchini squash, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelon, eggplant, blueberries, broccoli, and many other crops all rely heavily on bees for pollination. If these plants do not get pollinated, they will not produce fruit.

Robbie Cox of Cox Farms in Goldsboro, NC is one grower who's summer squash harvest has been delayed by slow bee activity. Robbie relies on a few honey bee hives that he leases from a local beekeeper, as well as wild honey bees and bumble bees. These leased hives are maintained by a local beekeeper in a mutually beneficial relationship where the beekeeper and bees are provided with land to forage, and the farmer gets help in the pollination of his/her crop. However, Robbie says that the wild bees tend to be the most active. He also says that the wild bee populartion tends to be more consistent year to year than the raised population. This year, however, the bees were present and active in March, but seemed to disappear for much of April.

Robbie attributes the decrease in bee activity throughout April to the fluctuations in temperature and weather we saw throughout the month. He says the wild bees tend to stay in the woods in this type of weather, and consequently are not active out in the fields pollinating his crops. Luckily, however, bee activity has been on the rise throughout May, and Robbie is expecting his summer squash will be ready to harvest in a few weeks.

Pam V. (May 23, 2012 at 2:15 pm)
Also, if tulip poplars are blooming (sometimes as early as April) and they are near a field, domestic bees will abandon everything else for that pollen.

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