Greenhouses & Bees

Bees help pollinate plants in greenhouses.

Since greenhouses lack natural pollinating sources such as wind, insects and butterflies, some greenhouse gardeners release bees inside their structures to handle that job. While the bees help pollinate the plants, most hives contain too many bees for small greenhouses.

Duration

Bees stay active for six to 10 weeks in a greenhouse. Once their lifecycle is over, the hive must be replaced. Beehives cost between $100 to $150 as of late 2010, depending on the species of bee, according to the University of Florida IFAS Extension.

Pollinating

The bees visit and vibrate the flowers to collect pollen for feeding. The process takes only a few seconds. A byproduct of the bee's work is that the pollen is carried on their feet and bodies to other flowers. The pollen rubs off on the other flowers, helping to pollinate the plants.

Requirements

Using a beehive in a small greenhouse can cause over-pollination, resulting in damaged flowers. One bee can pollinate up to 350 flowers a day, making it necessary to have hundreds of flowering plants ready at the same time for weeks on end.

References

• University of Florida IFAS Extension: Production of Greenhouse Tomatoes - Florida Greenhouse Vegetable Production Handbook, Vol 3
• North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension: Louisiana Tomato Book

Resources

• Science Channel Story of the Week: Bee Mystery Solved?