Topic: Will the beans get pollinated, if the weather is bad for bees?

[hellohelenhere]

My broad beans are all flowering away furiously, and now my mange-tout are starting as well - but I haven't seen much bee action. It's been very cool and windy this week, plus a fair amount of drizzle and rain.

Could this be bad news for my beans and peas? Can you brush-pollinate them, or is that just
a) not possible,
b) mad?  :-\

[allaboutliverpool]

I do not think there will be a problem as over the last 50 years I have never had a failure.
The bees will arrive but you may not notice them.

The effects of recent failure of bee colonies does not seem to have been evident at a local level especially as many are pollinated by solitary bees.

[Toadspawn]

Broad beans are usually pollinated by bumble bees. They work at cooler temperatures than honey bees so you should not worry.
Peas are self fertile and do not need the help of bees.

[saddad]

and any other flying insect like pollen beetles...  :-\

[hellohelenhere]

Thanks guys, that's reassuring! Yes, I have seen bumble bees out. The hairy-footed-flower bees (which are almost the only other kind I see) don't seem to come out in cold and windy weather, though they might do, while I'm not looking... I did have some honey bees a few weeks ago but haven't seen them again since.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Bee colonies are only working up to strength now - one of mine is very strong, the others are still fairly small. Overwintered beans flower before honeybees are likely to be significant pollinators. I've never had a complete failure, but I have had years when a lot fo pods were empty, and others half-empty, due to poor pollination.

[Digeroo]

I was extremely worried for my apple trees since I had seen so few bees, but they have set very well.

Runner beans can be polinated with a fine brush or a small feather.  It is mad but worth doing if all the flowers fall off and no beans appear.  We have problems with back door bees which drill a hole in the back of the flowers, so all bees use the back door and do not polinate the flowers. 

[hellohelenhere]

Back door bees, hehe! What type of bee are they, actually?
The bumble bees and Hairy Footed's seem to use the polite frontwards approach. There may be other smaller, less noticable bees around that I haven't seen.

[Borlotti]

Some insects really love my lavender bush in the front garden, not sure if they are bees, wasps or some kind of smaller wasp like things.  Will go and have a look.  I assume they are good. Think they may be nesting in the loft.  Not too keen on wasps after digging up a nest in the ground and being chased around the allotment by them.

[sarah]

when i was erecting my runner bean wigwam last week i noticed down on the ground a lot of activity around a little hole and discovered it to be bee hole.  i have seen about half a dozen bee's at a time around the entrance and they seem pretty busy. i have put a little metal grill over the hole to protect it from me stepping on it. i am hoping these bee's will do the business for my beans and all.  having watched the program last week about the plight of bee's at the moment i was glad to see them. i hope they wont mind me clattering about tending the crop. what sort of bees doyou thinkthey might be?

[Kea]

I had plenty of Bumble bees working on my broad beans.

My allotment neighbour arrived in a hurry today and grabbed his bee keepers stuff because a swarm had settled at his work place he was very keen to collect them his bee's died over winter.

[hellohelenhere]

The Hairy-Footeds were out today. I also noticed the very first teeny tiny broad bean pods forming - yay! My first ever broad beans!

My poor neglected Feltham Early peas have also started to produce tiny pods. I only planted them out today, they've been getting in a tangled mess, waiting for a bed to be made ready. They may have a hard time of it now, but I'll see how they do! Better late than never.

[thifasmom]

The Hairy-Footeds were out today. I also noticed the very first teeny tiny broad bean pods forming - yay! My first ever broad beans!

My poor neglected Feltham Early peas have also started to produce tiny pods. I only planted them out today, they've been getting in a tangled mess, waiting for a bed to be made ready. They may have a hard time of it now, but I'll see how they do! Better late than never.

pick off the early pods to encourage them to keep on producing flowers and more peas while they get themselves established. :)

[hellohelenhere]

Ooh, thanks for the tip, TM! Will do. They're too small to be having babies yet! :)

[pete10]

 Hi Helen was down my plot last evening , Behind Palmer Park , The place was buzzing with bumble,
 Bees .

[katynewbie]

 ???

Been worrying about my Broadies for a while, I have then under enviromesh to avoid blackfly et al. They are a mass of gorgeous flowers. Will it be safe for them to be exposed to the ravages of the real world now, and if not, will they be ok with just me and a kid's paintbrush?!

[Kea]

Spoke to my beekeeper neighbour...he managed to catch the swarm and they are happily installed in their new home! Ready to help pollinate our crops.

[hopalong]

Lots of bees around the broad beans today. Sadly lots of blackfly too and very few lady birds to gobble them up.

[hellohelenhere]

Thanks for reminding me about the blackfly - I went and soap-sprayed mine this afternoon. While I was doing that, I found out who one of the back-door nectar-thieves is.

 I watched a male white-tailed bumblebee (I think) drilling ferociously through the tops of the flowers. Bah!! The cheek!

[Kea]

Thanks for reminding me about the blackfly - I went and soap-sprayed mine this afternoon. While I was doing that, I found out who one of the back-door nectar-thieves is.

 I watched a male white-tailed bumblebee (I think) drilling ferociously through the tops of the flowers. Bah!! The cheek!

What sort of soap do you use?