Decision-Making Guide for Bee Supplementation of Pumpkin Fields
Steve Reiners, Co-Team Leader, Cornell University
Cornell Vegetable Program
May 17, 2013
Reliance on wild bees for pumpkin production is potentially risky, but costs of supplementing fields with managed bees is increasingly expensive. Pollination service costs can be reduced by identifying scenarios, based on the background level of wild bees and attributes of the surrounding landscape, where supplementation might not be necessary. This decision-making guide will help determine scenarios where reliance on wild bees will likely provide sufficient pollination of pumpkins.
Decision-Making Guide for Bee Supplementation of Pumpkin Fields (pdf; 317KB)