By Vanessa Richins

By now, you have likely heard that the honeybee is in trouble.

Dubbed victims of colony collapse disorder, whole colonies are suddenly disappearing.

Scientists haven’t pinpointed the cause yet – some feel it might have to do with mites, but this has not been confirmed.

Without honeybees, crops will have trouble being pollinated or fail outright.

Now, scientists are discovering a similar problem with one species of bumblebee – Bombus affinis, the rusty-patched bumblebee.

Bumblebees are essential for pollinating some plants – for example, tomatoes, raspberries and sweet peppers. Because of the way they vibrate the flowers while pollinating, their efforts cannot be replaced by regular honeybees.

In recent years, Read the rest of this entry »

By Michelle Fabio

If your tomato plants aren’t forming fruit, you may be inclined to think it’s because you haven’t seen bees or butterflies around to pollinate them.

But don’t blame the bees, according to David Goforth, horticulture and forestry agent with the Cabarrus Center of the N.C. Cooperative Extension Service.

“Tomatoes are wind pollinated and outdoor tomatoes don’t need pollinators,” he wrote in a recent Master Gardeners Q & A column in the Charlotte Observer.

Instead, advised Goforth, factors that can affect the setting of tomato fruit include Read the rest of this entry »