North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Alan Haigh <alandhaigh@gmail.com>]

Every region has different pollinating insects.  Here in the northeast there
are several consistent visitors of pears and pollination in home orchards
has never been an issue.  The literature about their pollination problems
with pears I think mostly concerns honey bees which are no longer or at
least not currently an important component of our pollinating population.

There's plenty of blooming dandelions on my property when fruit trees are in
bloom but all blossoms are well tended besides the kiwis- the only fruit
here that consistently seems to suffer from inadequate pollination.

I've heard of hanging rotting meat to attract pollinating flies to fruit
trees but I prefer the approach of having a wide range of flowering plants
that are in bloom when trees are not- from very early spring to late fall.

This year it's been so cool that the strategy may not be working for my
apricots that I've only seen tended by a couple of Carpenter bees.