# how to attract bees



## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

anybody with any good ideas on how i can attract bees to my tomato plants?

i've got 30 plants at 18 inches to two feet tall with many blooms.

i thought about going to hobby loby and buying some long runs of plastic honey suckle, stringing it out over the plants and spraying it regularly with sugar water.

what do you think.

B.D


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## wickll (Oct 6, 2009)

Do you feel like you are having pollination problems?? I never thought pollination to be much of a problem on tomatoes. But in the spring, seems like the tomatoes will always put on a bunch of male blooms first (or just fail to "set" the fruit) . I have even seen a spray that's call blossom (or bloom?) set that is supposed to help the plant set the fruit. I just always give them more time and then they start setting fruit. I do know that over fertilization with N will cause a problem setting fruit as well.


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## Tate (Aug 25, 2005)

Blue.dog said:


> anybody with any good ideas on how i can attract bees to my tomato plants?
> 
> i've got 30 plants at 18 inches to two feet tall with many blooms.
> 
> ...


That is impressive to have plants that size this early with blooms. Did you grow your own transplants? When did you plant yours in the ground? I live close to Conroe and still have mine under the grow lights. I will be putting them in the ground in the next few days. The lows at night are finally getting above 50 degrees.

By the way, I have some of these shrubs in my yard that are kind of like dwarf Hollys. I am not sure exactly what they are called, but I have at least a couple of hundred bees in them right now sucking on these little yellow buds. I have never seen this before. Usually I trim them, but I didn't this year. I guess more of these little buds grew because they weren't cut off.

Tate

Tate


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## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

about 6/7 weeks ago, i stopped by lowes here in lake jackson. the 'bonnie plants' truck had just unloaded a batch on new tomato plants...celebrities. so, i bought 30 of them.. around $75.00 or so.
last year, i waited too late and could not find them here in my area. found some in victoria when on a trip there.

so, i put these 30 plants in my neighbors green house. planted them 2 weeks ago. i know that i was taking a chance on a late frost; however, i had to do it because, i was having rotator cuff surgery the next week.

they survived a frost scare about 10 days ago. now doing great with plenty of blooms. had the surgery 8 days ago.
these plants have been loaded with blooms but no little tomatos are present. i noticed a lack of bees and thought this might be the reason why.

i think next year, that i will plant some broccoli close and let them go to seed. from experience, broccoli when going to seed has a mass of flowers and is a bee magnet.

i did purchase a few yellow marigold plants yesterday to plant in each tub.

here are a few pictures.

B.D


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## JPO (Oct 15, 2005)

mix 1/2 cup of sugar with 2 cups of water and boil til the sugar melts. set aside and let it cool. dilute with 1 gallon of water and pour it in a spray bottle. spray all ur plants with this and they will come from miles. kinda like they always seem to find your soda can! try it, works everytime!


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## Tate (Aug 25, 2005)

Way to get an early start on those. You should get a very good yield. Nice tomato cages B.D. ! I am building some myself this week. Not sure if will use remesh or hogwire yet. I hope I can find hogwire with a decent gauge and mesh. 

How much sun do you get in that area? What size are your buckets?

later

Tate


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## jhj415 (May 22, 2005)

another trick that also works well is hang some hummingbird feeders out.


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## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

The buckets are empty protein buckets used by ranchers for supplental feed to their cows. they are 21 inches in diameter and 18 inches tall. i drill holes at the bottom on 4 sides. 

i get enough sun or at least i have in the past. the peach tree you see may hurt me this year. the buckets work great as i don't have to work up the ground as if making a garden. i've had this set up for 5 or so years.

Tate, where do you live? 

the cost for the concrete mesh for just what i wanted was about $75.00 to $100. i could purchase a whole roll (4X of what i needed) for $125 to $145, so i bought the whole roll.

I just had rotator cuff surgery and i'm dead in the water for a long time.
I need 5 more cages. i'd be willing to give you the material for 10 cages, if you'd build 5 for me.

these are very strong. i've had tomato vines 18" out the top. of course the tub is the strength that holds them vertical.

i live in lake jackson.
B.D


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## BretE (Jan 24, 2008)

What's involved in building them?


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## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

not much effort.
i did mine.
the roll is heavy, but can be manipulated to where it is realitively easy to cut. i'm 67 and did it. 
i use my heavy duty bolt cutters. one can use lighter weight cutters, but why do that versus the easy way.
then pull one of the ends together and ty wrap it just to hold it.
then use some soft iron wire to tie that end, then work yourself down the roll and with the soft iron wire. i tie in 4 places with the soft wire.
i have everything needed.
i just need somebody to do it me for since my left arm is in a sling.
you can use all of my materials and tools.
i can help, well not too much... maybe supervise.
B.D


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## Bowhntr (Aug 7, 2006)

you must LOVE tomatos to have that many plants or do you sell co-op? Now I have to build cages live that one up here in Woodlands


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## Blue.dog (May 8, 2005)

don't sell.
just love to watch them grow and give to friends.
hope to can some this year, if i have a good crop.


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## BretE (Jan 24, 2008)

Blue.dog said:


> not much effort.
> i did mine.
> the roll is heavy, but can be manipulated to where it is realitively easy to cut. i'm 67 and did it.
> i use my heavy duty bolt cutters. one can use lighter weight cutters, but why do that versus the easy way.
> ...


workin this week but I'm off early next week. Let me know and I can run by Mon. or Tue. and and take care of it for you.....

Bret


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## ferd (Mar 12, 2009)

*Try a Dr. P...*

Long story short, in my deer stand this season, I had opened a can of Dr Pepper/ Dr Thunder, and immediately had a few bees show up. It was hot, I dozed off and awoke to about 50 in the stand buzzing around, and more coming... anyway...

If it happens to you*, stay calm-remove the evidence! lol. *
I helped as a beekeeper when I was a kid, and so long as you do not FREAK out and swat at them or anything they will be calm...

I fired up a cig, for smoke, got rid of the soda and put the can in a trash bag, then I ended up opening my urinal bottle which had some chlorine tabs in it and the fumes ran them off, me too!

give the soda a try...


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## Rockin'2 (Sep 26, 2008)

*help*

X2 If you need help till you heal, PM me. I can stop by on my way home almost any day. Little jobs are ok, I'm not going to paint your house. No charge and I don't need any tomato cages. haha Just been in the same shape.



Brete said:


> workin this week but I'm off early next week. Let me know and I can run by Mon. or Tue. and and take care of it for you.....
> 
> Bret


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## Tate (Aug 25, 2005)

BD,

Just got back in town...sent you a PM. Later

Tate


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## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

Several conditions can cause tomatoes to not set fruit. Too much nitrogen fertilizer, nighttime temperatures over 70 degrees, low temperatures below 50 degrees, etc...

I don't know what the lows have been in Lake Jackson - mornings are still on the cool side here. Give it some time & the insects will get the job done. 

Very nice looking plants BD!!!


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## capt. david (Dec 29, 2004)

girls in swimsuits and suntan lotion!


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## w_r_ranch (Jan 14, 2005)

david, he's try to attract bees.... not a bunch of 2Cool gardeners!!!


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## yakin ag (Mar 6, 2007)

You could do what I did and buy a couple of beehives!


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## 11andy11 (Aug 12, 2004)

I left my broccoli plants in the ground and planted the maters around them. The broccoli flowered like crazy and is loaded with bees.


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## djwag94 (Nov 19, 2009)

*Caution*

All I had to do was fire the tractor & shredder up, mow around an old out building & in a few seconds, I found Gazillions of em.

BEE Carefull out there!!!


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## Woreout (Apr 4, 2010)

As a hobby beekeeper, only 2 hives, Hate to tell you but the bees prefer thing other that tomatoes, cukes, and the stuff we all grow. Sure they will show up and pollinate for you, but not as much as you think. The main thing is the use of insecticide. That is the killer. I fight every bug know to mankind also and about the best thing is, after dark, when the bees are back home, get the Sevin spray out and do your best to spray the plants without hitting the flowers. The bees want the flowers and not the rest of the plant. Sevin disapates after 1 day that is why it says you can eat the maters the day after you spray. Hope this helps.


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## Ready.Fire.Aim (Sep 22, 2009)

*Tomato blossoms don't need bees- wind pollinated*

Tomato blossoms are wind pollinated. They don't need pollinating insects like bees to spread pollen.

Louis


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