North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Douglas Woodard <dwoodard@becon.org>]

I believe the problem is that pear nectar is lower in sugar content than 
many others - 20% sticks in my mind, where some other species go up to 
50%. The bees prefer more concentrated nectars when they can get them. I 
think it is a common practice to mow dandelions when the pears are in bloom.

Doug Woodard
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada



On 23/04/2011 11:18 AM, Bob Hartman wrote:
> NAFEXers,
>
> Does anyone have a technique or “trick” they have successfully used to get 
> honeybees to visit pear blossoms?  Pears are known to have little or no 
> nectar so the bees would rather visit dandelions than pear blossoms.  I have 
> lots of pear trees blooming but no honeybees visiting them but I see the bees 
> bringing into their hives dark orange and yellow pollen probably from 
> dandelions.
>
> Thanks,
> Bob