My crop of mangetout is well down on last year and my runner beans are
not setting at all.

Earlier in the year we had more honey bees than for years; but none now.
Instead we have lots of bumble bees, as many as a dozen on a single
flowering plant - but none on the runner beans. The RHS state that
bumble bees cannot polinate runner beans. The runner flowers are
completely devoid of insects. I have allowed red and white clover to
flower in my lawn and they have a fair number of bumble bees too.

What are others experience this year - are your peas and beans covered
in bees?

DAvy

Davy writes
My crop of mangetout is well down on last year and my runner beans are
not setting at all.

Earlier in the year we had more honey bees than for years; but none now.
Instead we have lots of bumble bees, as many as a dozen on a single
flowering plant - but none on the runner beans. The RHS state that
bumble bees cannot polinate runner beans. The runner flowers are
completely devoid of insects. I have allowed red and white clover to
flower in my lawn and they have a fair number of bumble bees too.

What are others experience this year - are your peas and beans covered
in bees?

Much the same experience as yours. I blamed my poor husbandry (I have
been busy on other things this year) but have been beginning to wonder
if it was lack of bees. Didn't know bumblebees can't pollinate runner
beans - we've had nothing much but bumble bees and hoverflies for the
last couple of years.
--
Kay

K wrote:
Davy writes
My crop of mangetout is well down on last year and my runner beans are
not setting at all.

Earlier in the year we had more honey bees than for years; but none now.
Instead we have lots of bumble bees, as many as a dozen on a single
flowering plant - but none on the runner beans. The RHS state that
bumble bees cannot polinate runner beans. The runner flowers are
completely devoid of insects. I have allowed red and white clover to
flower in my lawn and they have a fair number of bumble bees too.

What are others experience this year - are your peas and beans covered
in bees?

Much the same experience as yours. I blamed my poor husbandry (I have
been busy on other things this year) but have been beginning to wonder
if it was lack of bees. Didn't know bumblebees can't pollinate runner
beans - we've had nothing much but bumble bees and hoverflies for the
last couple of years.
I have seen recommended that spraying with just water in the late
evening helps, I cannot vouch for that as I have never (yet) had a
problem. As mine are only just starting to flower it is too early to
tell yet. In the Spring I was worried that all my apple trees were in
profuse blossom, but not a bee in sight. However I now have,up to now,
a good crop of apples.

--
Please reply to group,emails to designated
address are never read.

"Broadback" wrote in message
...
K wrote:
Davy writes
My crop of mangetout is well down on last year and my runner beans are
not setting at all.

Earlier in the year we had more honey bees than for years; but none now.
Instead we have lots of bumble bees, as many as a dozen on a single
flowering plant - but none on the runner beans. The RHS state that
bumble bees cannot polinate runner beans. The runner flowers are
completely devoid of insects. I have allowed red and white clover to
flower in my lawn and they have a fair number of bumble bees too.

What are others experience this year - are your peas and beans covered
in bees?

Much the same experience as yours. I blamed my poor husbandry (I have
been busy on other things this year) but have been beginning to wonder if
it was lack of bees. Didn't know bumblebees can't pollinate runner
beans - we've had nothing much but bumble bees and hoverflies for the
last couple of years.
I have seen recommended that spraying with just water in the late evening
helps, I cannot vouch for that as I have never (yet) had a problem. As
mine are only just starting to flower it is too early to tell yet. In the
Spring I was worried that all my apple trees were in profuse blossom, but
not a bee in sight. However I now have,up to now, a good crop of apples.

--
Please reply to group,emails to designated
address are never read.

To introduce a note of cheer.

I think it was Einstein that said three years without bees = the first year
without people, or similar.

You'd think our elected representatives would be running around like scalded
cats trying to find a solution to this one (reduction in bee population).
Still perhaps they're too busy with the ex's forms.

On 2009-07-13 10:40:53 +0100, Davy said:

My crop of mangetout is well down on last year and my runner beans are
not setting at all.

Earlier in the year we had more honey bees than for years; but none now.
Instead we have lots of bumble bees, as many as a dozen on a single
flowering plant - but none on the runner beans. The RHS state that
bumble bees cannot polinate runner beans.
snip
I don't pretend to have the answer but this site doesn't agree about
bumble bees and the RHS site seems to refer to the short tongued bumble
bee not helping with pollination:

Pollination and Isolation

Runner beans are pollinated by bumblebees and honey bees and cannot
cross with other types of beans, though they will cross with other
runner beans quite readily. For this reason we recommend a minimum
isolation distance of 800m between runner bean varieties to be certain
of maintaining varietal purity.

If you know of other runner beans being grown within 800m of your plot,
or if you wish to save seed from two or more types of runner bean on
your own plot, isolate varieties either with a fleece bag around each
truss or with a large insect proof cage around several plants. It may
be easier to cage a tepee rather than a row. You then must hand
pollinate each newly opened flower with a thin paintbrush. Do this by
hand each day, simply pressing down on the lower (left) keel of each
newly opened blossom to mimic a bee landing. Then use the paintbrush to
transfer the pollen from anther to stigma. You should use pollen from
another plant of the same variety rather than from the same flower or
plant. If you are growing more than one variety, remember to wash and
dry the paintbrush between varieties.
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/hsl/...nner_beans.php

I wonder if, next year, you could arrange for a local bee keeper to put
a hive in your garden or on your allotment?

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

Sacha wrote in
:

the RHS site seems to refer to the short tongued
bumble bee not helping with pollination:

Try as I might I cannot get the bumble bees to stick out their tongues
for long enough so I can measure them so cannot say whether our bumble
bees have short tongues.

I wonder if, next year, you could arrange for a local bee keeper to
put a hive in your garden or on your allotment?

I've got an empty hive in the garden, maybe the local beekeeper might be
willing to put a swarm in it? Someone I met who had an operational
beehive in their garden said that it was not safe to pick the runner
beans till late evening by when the bees had gone to bed ........

thanks for your thoughts,

DAvy

On 2009-07-13 17:34:46 +0100, Davy said:

Sacha wrote in
:

the RHS site seems to refer to the short tongued
bumble bee not helping with pollination:

Try as I might I cannot get the bumble bees to stick out their tongues
for long enough so I can measure them so cannot say whether our bumble
bees have short tongues.

As I wrote that I just *knew* I was courting that response. ;-)

I wonder if, next year, you could arrange for a local bee keeper to
put a hive in your garden or on your allotment?

I've got an empty hive in the garden, maybe the local beekeeper might be
willing to put a swarm in it? Someone I met who had an operational
beehive in their garden said that it was not safe to pick the runner
beans till late evening by when the bees had gone to bed ........

thanks for your thoughts,

DAvy

IME, you're at most danger of getting stung if you impede their flight
to and from the hive, which should be facing south-ish, not facing into
strong wind and rain and not under overhanging trees in deep shade.
I suppose if you happen to make contact with a bee on the beans (a
has-bean?) you might get stung but otherwise they're not too interested
in people at all. If you have a local beekeeping association they'd
probably be delighted to use the hive, providing it's been cleaned out.

--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon

The trouble with bumblebees on runners is that they pierce through the stem end of the flower and do not pick up the pollen. I think you may need to be patient - I have two friends picking runners already.

"Davy" wrote in message
. 109.145...
My crop of mangetout is well down on last year and my runner beans are
not setting at all.

Earlier in the year we had more honey bees than for years; but none now.
Instead we have lots of bumble bees, as many as a dozen on a single
flowering plant - but none on the runner beans. The RHS state that
bumble bees cannot polinate runner beans. The runner flowers are
completely devoid of insects. I have allowed red and white clover to
flower in my lawn and they have a fair number of bumble bees too.

I've always sprayed my runner beans and usually get a good crop.

Davy wrote:
My crop of mangetout is well down on last year and my runner beans are
not setting at all.

Earlier in the year we had more honey bees than for years; but none
now. Instead we have lots of bumble bees, as many as a dozen on a
single flowering plant - but none on the runner beans. The RHS state
that bumble bees cannot polinate runner beans. The runner flowers are
completely devoid of insects. I have allowed red and white clover to
flower in my lawn and they have a fair number of bumble bees too.

What are others experience this year - are your peas and beans covered
in bees?

DAvy

Never given a thought to pollination. As I'm out 10 - 12 hours a day, and
weekends are hecktick, can't say I've observed bee activity. Had my first
picking of runners yesterday, with masses more coming on.
--
Pete C
London UK

Davy wrote:

What are others experience this year - are your peas and beans covered
in bees?

Interesting news article on the BBC website about the decline of the
bees and the lack of government interest.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8148999.stm

However it looks like the government is finally waking up to the problem
and will solve it in its usual way: "make registration compulsory for
bee-keepers". Just what the situation demands - more paperwork and
bureaucrats!

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

"David in Normandy" wrote in message
...
Davy wrote:

What are others experience this year - are your peas and beans covered in
bees?

Interesting news article on the BBC website about the decline of the bees
and the lack of government interest.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8148999.stm

However it looks like the government is finally waking up to the problem
and will solve it in its usual way: "make registration compulsory for
bee-keepers". Just what the situation demands - more paperwork and
bureaucrats!


It's compulsory to register in Alberta and you must have your hive(s)
inspected annually (IIRC - kept bees 25+ years ago) for "Fowl Brood" etc.
Alberta is a major honey producer so the govt. takes it seriously.
Graham

Davy wrote in
. 109.145:

My crop of mangetout is well down on last year and my runner beans are
not setting at all.

Earlier in the year we had more honey bees than for years; but none
now. Instead we have lots of bumble bees, as many as a dozen on a
single flowering plant - but none on the runner beans. The RHS state
that bumble bees cannot polinate runner beans. The runner flowers are
completely devoid of insects. I have allowed red and white clover to
flower in my lawn and they have a fair number of bumble bees too.

What are others experience this year - are your peas and beans covered
in bees?

DAvy


Occasional bumble bees and hover flies on beans and beans now beginning
to set so perhaps its a time thing - need to wait till mid July. But
bees seem to visit runner beans as a last resort?

DAvy