Melon
A summer crop whose fruit set and shape depend heavily on bee visits; in the field it gives bees moderate nectar and pollen.
- Nectar
- Medium
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Height
- 0,3-0,5 m
- Life cycle
- Annual
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Besides male flowers, melon carries hermaphrodite flowers with both male and female organs; even so, pollination depends on bees because the pollen is heavy and sticky. Insufficient visits lead to small, crooked fruit with few seeds. Nectar is moderate, the pollen contribution notable.
Flowering
It flowers from June to August; the flowers open in the morning and last only one day. A female or hermaphrodite flower must be visited many times to produce a good fruit.
Honey and pollen
It is not known as a single-flower honey; large melon areas contribute to summer honeys. There is no reliable colour record for the pollen loads.
Note for the beekeeper
For pollination services 2-3 colonies per hectare are recommended. Colonies should be brought in as flowering begins; spraying should be done in the late afternoon, after the bees have stopped flying.