North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["tanis cuff" <tanistanis@hotmail.com>]

I think I got this idea from a list post of a couple years ago.  Are some 
pear flowers so large that small-sized pollinators can land on a petal, 
crawl to the center to collect nectar, and never touch pollen?  Can a pear 
tree be full of bloom-season insect activity but, because of the above, not 
get pollinated?

My favorite pear tree which in the past seemed to be self-fruitful, regular 
generous crops, has in recent years not been so bountiful.  It is always 
more or less full of flowers (and tiny flying insects!) at bloom season, but 
only yields a few fruits.  This spring pollen was available from other 
cultivars, but altho there was good fruit-set on these others, still very 
few on this tree.

I wish I had thought to examine and compare all these cultivars' flowers.  
And, I have to wait another year to try some hand pollinations.  The only 
other obvious variable is, in those past bountiful years there were more 
honey bee hives in the neighborhood.

I don't recall seeing bumble bees working this tree.  I hate to think I 
wouldn't notice them.

Ideas, please, for what I should plan to try next year.  Thanks!