im wondering are wasps helpfull? there are a couple nests around my house and there always flying around my plants they have never stinged me for some reason. and are bees helpfull? i got a couple of bees also and i know that the flowers self pollinate so do bees just cross my peppers and ruin my seeds for next year?
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wasps
- Thread starter newpeppergrower1105
- Start date
I suppose that bees could possibly cross pollinate your peppers but bees are a very, very important part of the ecosystem. Don't kill them!!
i was thinking of this because i accidently caught a bee in a jug and was deciding to kill it or not but i let it go. i got some yellow ghosts doughlahs and morugas right next to eachother and i really dont want them crossing. should i call a pests guy to take them out?
they wont cross until you plant the seeds from the crossed flower pod if you need some seeds for next season you can tie a silk bag or breathable material over a flower until it is pollinated and turns to a pod then take the bag of and save those seeds
yeah but the problem is that most of the flowers are set already and i cant be sure which one is crossed and which one is notThreehundredc said:
As mentioned, wasps won't harm plants nor distribute pollen.
As for crossed flowers, try to isolate a few unopened flowers very soon, this way they can form pure pods & seed before your season ends.
Here's a thread that explains how to do it: http://thehotpepper.com/topic/32354-plant-isolation-techniques-to-prevent-open-hybrids/
Edit: I stand corrected about wasps not being pollinators, more info posted below. You learn something new every day.
As for crossed flowers, try to isolate a few unopened flowers very soon, this way they can form pure pods & seed before your season ends.
Here's a thread that explains how to do it: http://thehotpepper.com/topic/32354-plant-isolation-techniques-to-prevent-open-hybrids/
Edit: I stand corrected about wasps not being pollinators, more info posted below. You learn something new every day.
Killing bees makes you a bad human being. Don't do it.
Don't kill either one. Both are highly beneficial. And it would be ridiculous to call an exterminator because you don't want bees to cross polinate your plants. If that's your stance you better bring your plants indoors so the wind won't cross polinate your plants.
they wont be pollinated if they just appear and are still a little ball once they open up they expose the pollen so you have like a week or 2 to catch em
HP22BH said:
Not sure where you guys are getting your info but wasps are most definitely pollinators... not just according to experts but also in my garden every year. In my area honey bees are rare except where beekeepers colonize them, and the bumble bees are too large to land on pepper blooms so all I have is wasps and tiny sweat bee looking things (much smaller than sweat bees are supposed to be and I've seen no indication they are attracted to sweat) that may not even be bees at all, and yet I have very good pollination rates.
Flowering plants attract wasps that feed on their pollen or nectar. While they are not "as" efficient at pollination as bees due to having less furry bodies, they never the less can't help but move pollen around when they move from bloom to bloom.
