Bees are considered invaluable allies for melon growers. Their role in boosting the yields of watermelons, melons, and pumpkins cannot be overstated. That’s why it’s not uncommon to see beehives in melon fields, especially in Uzbekistan. The natural conditions here are quite favorable for growing vegetable and melon crops: the summer is long, hot, and dry, with a growing season lasting 180 to 220 days. However, rainfall is scarce. In Uzbekistan, nectar-producing plants bloom from March to October, providing a continuous source of nectar. Before the melon crops bloom, bees have already been foraging on other early-blooming nectar-rich plants. For instance, in March, fruit trees such as apricots, plums, apples, and peaches begin to flower, offering good yields of nectar and pollen. Soon after, other plants like sea buckthorn, acacia, and honey locust will also be ready to provide nectar. Beehives are moved around to follow the blooms.
By late May to early June, watermelons, melons, and pumpkins start to flower. In terms of nectar production, they rival the well-known nectar source, alfalfa. Melon crops are particularly attractive to bees because they contain a large amount of nectar, and the local bees have specialized proboscises for extracting it. In addition to nectar, watermelons, melons, and pumpkins also provide pollen for the bees. In return, the bees help these plants bear fruit. It has been established that without the involvement of pollinating insects, watermelons, melons, and pumpkins will not produce fruit. This is an important consideration for amateur melon growers.
From our experience, we have found that bees are quite eager to visit the flowers of melons, pumpkins, and watermelons, working on these plants for a considerable amount of time, transferring pollen from the male flowers to the stigmas of the female ones. Interestingly, when melon crops are in full bloom, there is often little for the bees to forage on from other plants. This is why beekeepers transport their hives to the melon fields.
Sometimes beekeepers complain that during the summer, when they bring their hives to the melon fields, the bees fly only a short distance (up to 50 meters) and do not visit the flowers. What can be done? Beekeepers often resort to feeding the bees flavored syrup. However, even then, the bees do not increase their foraging radius! It turns out that in hot climates, the location of a water source for the bees is crucial for lowering the temperature in the hive and maintaining necessary humidity. The bees spread the water they bring across the honeycomb. As it evaporates, the water cools the hive and increases the humidity in the air. Bees tend to fly out less frequently for pollen but much more often for water (in some cases, up to 100 times). Therefore, it is essential to set up a watering station for the bees if there is no good water source nearby. Water should be periodically added to the station. It is vital not to forget to provide bees with water, especially during the hot, dry summer months when they suffer greatly from thirst, particularly in open fields. Each bee colony requires about 0.5 liters of water per day.
The bees are most active in the morning hours when the flowers are rich in nectar and delicate pollen. Calm, windless weather with temperatures between 25 and 30°C (77 to 86°F) and relative humidity of 35 to 40% is ideal for these industrious insects. In the heat, the number of working bees decreases, sometimes to the point of disappearing from the plants altogether, while wild insects continue to gather nectar. By 11 a.m., the activity of all pollinators sharply declines.
According to our observations, bees work intensively on watermelon and melon flowers from 8 to 10 a.m., and on pumpkins, they are active for an hour longer. This is when the pollen has the highest viability, and the stigmas are most receptive to fertilization. The closer the beehives are to the melon fields, the more bees will visit the plants.
High bee density in areas close to the hives increases fruit set and reduces the drop rate of fruit organs. It has been established that bees effectively visit the flowers of melon crops at distances of 300 to 500 meters from the hives.
So why do beekeepers sometimes overlook the importance of creating conditions for a “friendship” between beneficial insects and the flowers of vegetable and melon plants? In our view, one reason is the decline in agricultural practices and the reluctance of vegetable growers to understand the biological processes at play. However, to run a successful homestead, it is essential to pay close attention to all established biological connections. A pollination service, for example, created within a gardening cooperative, could establish its own beehive or arrange to rent honeybees for a fee. This would lead to better yields for cucumbers, watermelons, and melons alike. It would also be wise to consider forming a commission for migratory beekeeping: upon request, bees could be brought to areas where cultivated plants need them. The migration plan would be coordinated with practitioners and representatives from plant protection services. The strength of the bee colony and the pollination capacity of the individual bees could serve as criteria for payment for pollination services. A generous increase in yield could justify additional compensation.
Renting bees for pollination would be mutually beneficial for both beekeepers and melon growers: beekeepers would be attracted by the financial incentive, while melon growers would benefit from increased yields.