This study was conducted in the spring of 2001 in the apiary field at Faculty
of Agriculture, Damascus University - Syria, for the purpose of studying the
effect of flower pollination by honeybees on fruit-set and consequently on the
crop producti
vity of two varieties of squash, named : Berneel and Mabrukeh .
The rate of set fruits resulting from the visits of honeybees was calculated
and compared with the control, which was isolated to prevent bees reaching it.
The result in Berneel variety was 93.84% of setting flowers in the
experiment against 9.91% in the control. The results were in Mabrukeh variety
94.07% in the experiment, against 14.79% in the control.
The study has assured the importance of the density of bees in squash fields.
When the average of visits of honeybees to each flower was 7 visits per hour,
the flower-set rate was 100%. However, when the average of visits of honeybees
has declined to only 2 visits per flower per hour, the rate of set has also declined
to 60%.
