On Sun, 4 May 2014 21:29:41 -0500, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:

micky wrote:
On Sun, 04 May 2014 20:04:45 -0500, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

On 5/4/2014 7:04 PM, micky wrote:
My new cherry tree NW of Baltimore didn't seem to have many bugs
fertilizing it. Just 4 when I looked, two honey bees and two other
things about half as big and all black.

Is this because of the deaths of so many honey bees?

What were these other things?

I'm not sure they were even big enough to do the accidental
fertilizing that honey bees do.

Do you think this will cause a shortage of fruit on the tree? It
had loads of flowers,

If there isn't much fruit, how do I fertilize the flowers myself
next year? A brush? A toothbrush?


I wonder if an unusually cold winter may have something to do with
it? I think a lot of the bugs aren't around here in Alabamastan
after the very cold winter weather we had. ^_^

There aren't any more stink bugs, afaict, and two bushes in front of
my house which have been dying slowly, finally died completely, and
the ivy that was all around the bed all seemed to die, the first time
that any ivy died.

For next year, if necessary, I know you can buy lady bugs, but I've
never heard of buying honey bees, unless it's a whole hive. I don't
want to be bothered with a whole hive. Plus I suppose it would be
expensive these days. It's still a small tree. If the flowers were
still there, I'd be happy to pollinate them myself. It would have
take no more than 2 hours, I think.


I'll be taking posession of my hive later this month . I'm getting a going
hive with a brood super and one honey super for $350 - that's hive , bees
and all . I could have done it mail order package bees and built my own
supers/frames/etc for less money , but ... This will be an established
"family" , vs the mail order route which is basically a new queen and a
bunch of strangers . Additionally , these bees are local , and acclimated to
this area . And once I have a hive going well I can split it for just the
cost of hive bodies/etc . I think this first hive will be going over in the
orchard . I just wish it were here already , the blueberries are blooming
and the blackberries are budding , expected to bloom in 3-6 days .

And I gather there aren't enough air-crittrers to pollinate the black
and blue berries? I'll bet you could do it yourself with some sort of
brush.

350 isn't such a bad price, but I'm not in the mood for more projects.

Won't I need gloves and overalls and hat with a mask? Won't I have to
read bee podcasts? Or beecasts, as I call them. Well, you didnt' say
I'd have to do anything, only what you were doing. Fair enough.