U.S Janet B wrote:
....
> I've got about a dozen zucchini waiting the fridge. Today I will
> shred them all and pack in 2 cup portions and freeze. 2 cups is what
> all my zucchini baked goods recipes use.
> I am not seeing any bees this year. I am having to hand pollinate the
> zucchini. The cucumbers female blossoms are dropping, unpollinated.
> Normally I have lots of bees.

where about are you located?

the bees that tend to work squash and cucumbers are
more of the native bees like bumble bees and mason bees.
many people kill their hives when discovered because
they can sting multiple times and such. i've noticed a
large drop in populations of these bees the past five
years but we still have some around.

i'm hoping it is just a temporary thing.

the most likely causes of population declines are
the pesticides being used and the diseases that are
going around. also some habitat destruction and
people getting rid of their nesting sites and also
perhaps some competition from honey bees.

you can build habitat for them and other native
bees, here is one example:

https://permaculturenews.org/2013/10...-insect-hotel/


songbird