Tag Archives: Department of entomology

Helping honey bees pollinate pickling cucumber fields

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By Thomas Wood, Michigan State University, Department of Entomology


The Michigan State University Vegetable Entomology Lab started working on honey bee health in pickling cucumber fields two years ago as part of a USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant. This project aimed at improving our understanding of how to balance cucumber production and pest management against pollinator health.


Our research has shown that honey bees are the dominant pollinator of cucumbers in Michigan, and that effective pollination depends on large numbers of bees. Honey bee colonies are robust, but are exposed to many stressors in the cucumber production system. Watch our new video to learn more about this topic.


Thanks to Joy Landis and colleagues from MSU CANR Communications for helping us create this video. Follow us on Twitter @msuvegent!


This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

Tillage and squash bees: Protect your best source for pollination in your squash fields

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By Zsofia Szendrei, Michigan State University Extension, Department of Entomology


The Michigan State University Vegetable Entomology Lab started researching squash pollination two years ago when the USDA Organic Research and Extension Initiative funded a project that focused on all aspects of squash management. One of our goals was to learn about the impact of management practices on a little-known native pollinator that specializes in pollinating winter and summer squash: the squash bee.


The squash bee is a unique insect because it naturally occurs in most squash productions in Michigan and must find squash pollen to feed its young. The female creates nests in the ground and our project focused on finding out how soil disturbance impacts squash bees.


Watch our new 3-minute video on tillage and squash bees to learn more about this topic, and enjoy the animations created by our talented collaborator, Holly Hooper, MSU Entomology graduate student. Thanks to Joy Landis and colleagues from MSU College of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesCommunications & Marketing for helping us create this video. Follow us on Twitter @msuvegent!


This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit http://www.msue.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit http://expert.msue.msu.edu, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).