Honey bees placed under row covers affect muskmelon yield and quality

Abstract

Row covers, removed at the first flush of female flowers, advanced the initial harvest date, enhanced early yield and improved fruit quality of two cultivars of muskmelon ( Cucumis melo L.). Including colonies of bees ( Apis mellifera L.) under the covers enabled the covers to be left on for another month and further advanced the initial harvest date and early yield. Individual fruit weight was greater from row cover treatments with bees than without, and was highly correlated with total seed weight.