North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Ginda Fisher <list@ginda.us>]

No, I've never 'raised' bumble bees, but I have lots of wild ones.  I plant 
a variety of things that flower throughout the year, and am very careful to 
avoid spraying anything in bloom.  This seems to work to maintain a good 
population, and I have good fruit set in everything insect-pollinated.  
(currants, strawberries, apricots, blueberries, apples, raspberries.)  in 
the early fall I harvest raspberries as the bumbles work the blossoms.  I 
can pick within inches of the placid bees and have never been stung.  I'm a 
big fan of bumblebees.
___
Ginda

...... Original Message .......
On Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:15:44 -0600 "Ernest Plutko" 
<ernestplutko@wiktel.com> wrote:
>I kept every summer for years 20 colonies of honeybees.  Stopped
>raising honeybees because of mites and diseases destroying the bee
>colonies.  I didn't see any honeybees last summer in my yard. When my
>basswood trees flowered they used to be covered with bees and each
>tree would hum with bees.   No humming last summer. Saw bumblebees
>last summer though not many. Anyone raising bumblebees?  It can be
>done and there is at least one book I know of how to raise them. 
>Just ordered it.
>
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