Visits of honeybees (Hymenoptera : Apidae) and their effects on cucumber yields in the field

Field tests were conducted to determine whether the presence of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.), as well as the number and duration of their visits to Glowers affected cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) yields. The experiment inclu ded flowers not visited by bees, flowers freely visited by bees, and flower s with controlled visits by bees. A single visit to a newer was sufficient to induce fruiting. Flowers that had the greatest number of visits and high est cumulative durations of visits also had the greatest cucumber yields. T he rate of pollination was correlated with the cumulative duration but not with the total number of bee visits. The maximum cucumber circumference was significantly correlated with the cumulative duration of bee visits. No si gnificant correlation was found between cucumber weight and the number or c umulative duration of visits by bees. The presence of honey bees together w ith the number and cumulative duration of their visits to the flowers are i mportant to pollination and influence both the quality and the quantity of cucumber production.