Bees

[A. thom Aberdares]

Hi, I am co-ordinating / growing orchids in the semi wild, around the equator. As long the frost stays away, they tend to do fine and there are seedlings popping up in good numbers. But still, for some of the natural occurring species I would expect more seed pods. And now I am wondering, I do keep bees, and maybe those bees are not suppose to fertilize the orchids, but can it be that as the bees are so plentiful (no CCD here, and that discussion is already done elsewhere), that they compete with alternative food sources for the orchid fertilizing insects? I can hardly imagine that the orchid fertilizers get enough food from (specific) orchids only. Should I do away with the bees?

[Ray]

Orchids tend to be very specific in their attraction to insects; you would need to know if the ones you are cultivating match up with the bees.

[orchidsarefun]

definitely do not do "away" with the bees !
The fact that you are getting some seed pods is fantastic news and indicates that there are pollinators present. Bear in mind too that orchids will naturally abort/or not develop pods, if too many are setting on a single plant.
What orchids are you growing ? It sounds like they are germinating in natural conditions - ie not in a lab, so that is also a good thing and means that you have ideal cultural conditions.

[IncurablePlantHead]

My bees have their flowers that they know and can't live without. Sometimes they will check out the orchid blooms, but only for a moment, then they're off to more familiar fodder. Even species orchids can often have very specific pollinators and I don't imagine that the honeybees compete with them that much.

[euplusia]

As said above, most native orchid species have very specific pollinators. Only a minor number is pollinated by bees. Often fruit flies or moths do the job.

[Orchidsoutdoors]

As euplusia mentioned, not all orchids are pollinated by bees (or the same species of bees), there are wasps, moths, hummingbirds and other insects that act as pollinators. Orchid often have a relationship with one specific pollinator, so without that exact species you won't get pods. That's the reason why I grow orchids in my garden - I don't have to worry about the non-native ones becoming invasive (I don't let the couple of self-pollinators set pods.

[A. thom Aberdares]

Thanks for the reactions! Most of the orchids here grow in a natural setting; about 10 species( epiphytic+terrestrial) were already present, then others were added, but mostly from the same climate zone. The new epiphytic ones I plaster on the trees with e.g cello tape or in case of Cyrtochis arcuata, which normally has not yet attached when the cello tape has worn out, I use iron binding wire. Some of the species: Tridactyle bicaudata, Aerangis thomsonii (grows as if there is no tomorrow), A. confusa, Angraecopsis breviloba , Angraecum erectum, Polystachya a number of species, Disperis at least two species, possible 3, Eulophia streptopetala, Habernaria x (cannot find a picture of it in the book, will post a picture) and Liparis bowkeri to give you an idea about the climate. Now I do understand that some orchids have exclusive pollinators, but are they mutual exclusive??? When that specific orchid is not flowering for let's say 8 months, how does the exclusive orchid pollinator survives? I was just thinking that at that stage some bee competition might come in(6 hives). Or is this a faulty reasoning?

[A. thom Aberdares]

Okay, for the moment the bees stay. But what about frogs? I have done some homework and have learned that some of the exclusive pollinators do night shifts and then I have frogs waiting for them. On the photo you can see such a frog and sure they reduce seed production (I uploaded the photo, but it doesn't seem to pop up, it is now also in my album Wild Kenya). Should I do away with the frogs?

[Daethen]

I would not "do away" with any of the natural creatures you have living there. Life will find a way! The frogs can't possibly eat all the pollinators.

[A. thom Aberdares]

Exactly, life will find a way! But that seems to be different in the threads about slugs and snails... Now the frogs are not eating the orchids, but as far as I can see, they limit my orchid offspring. What if I just take them out during flowering? The orchid specific pollinators can do their stuff, and then later on the hungry frogs can take up their task of biological controllers once more. If this is agreeable then I will do the same with the chameleons.