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Syracuse, NY

everyone has their own way of keeping bees out, but i'm concerned about it when i see and read that merely cups are being used and that has been shown to be a less-than-perfect way of keeping out ALL insects that could have unwanted pollen on them. this comment is in NO WAY to be thought of as though caused by anyone's recent posts/comments or replies about anything at all, just something that needs to be improved upon to help us in our efforts to be able to say without a doubt that pumpkin plant A was really pollinated by pumpkin plant B. i, myself had thought for years that using a nylon mesh 'Organza bag' for wedding candies and little gifts:

http://www.michaels.com/bags%2C-boxes-and-containers/bags/809188803

was the best way ever to keep out any and all, and it IS, for ME, but then Glenomkins pointed out to y'all of us that there was a CHANCE that a few grains of pollen COULD get through, (even though bees are electrostatically, positively-charged!) especially now that i see there are many different GRADES of the mesh itself, whereby i vowed to use not only my ultra-fine Organza bag (no worries, but...), but also a CUP over that in order to prevent any other stray grains from polluting my crosses in '18; long story (already) short, if you are only using a cup to keep 'em out, please use any other method IN ADDITION to this cup method, and for a collection of others' thoughts on this earlier in the year, go here:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/MsgBoard/ViewThread.asp?b=19&p=624895

you may be enlightened, as i was---we should all do 'double' and there were a couple of triple and quadruple methods (yay!); to ME now, (bag + cup) will be religion, AND i see that there are bags made of MUSLIN on the same page, PROBABLY even better-suited for me than MESH. >>>'oh, but i DID used to love to see the flower, all opened up for me!'<<<...eg

7/3/2018 8:46:32 PM

Pittsburgh, PA

I use women’s stocking over the blossom with a cup. No bugs or bees getting in there.

7/3/2018 11:39:16 PM

Colorado

A piece of burlap twine does a great job of keeping the bees out before and after pollinating. Ive also used small rubber bands to keep the flower closed. A Light pressure knot(first part of tying your shoelace) keeps the flower closed. If you cut your string about 7/8 inches its easy to use to cinch the flower completely closed after the deed. Doesn't work quite as well on field pumpkin flowers their petals are a little trickier.Ive hand pollinated 21 ag's so far this year haven't had a bee get in one yet-I bring the males inside the night before-pick those with a pruining tool. Simple but effective.

7/4/2018 12:06:08 AM

Grittyville, WA

It can be assumed that bees are dirty flying dust balls also if they land they will lose their electrostatic charge?? So if they land on the mesh and walk around trying to find a way through maybe they could possibly drop pollen through the mesh. My recipe:Females...Clothespins to keep them from opening. Then bindweed to tie them shut... Bring the males in or I'll clothespin them. I couldnt agree more that it is important to be careful when you intend to grow the seeds or if anyone else will... Plenty of unknowns already and when you look at the progeny photos on the fanatic site and for many pumpkins the progeny have such a variety of shape and color... it makes me wonder. Its one of those things where an actual genetic study would almost certainly reveal interesting shortcomings. But its still fun.

7/4/2018 3:01:28 AM

Syracuse, NY

you have such a funny way of wording things---
"...bees are dirty flying dust balls" and i don't have to be deliriously tired to laugh out loud at it, lol---see, just then! no, a charge remains---the whole point of bees getting pollen on them is to keep it, eat it and also take it back to the hive; they don't know or care about the flowers of the Earth - they have mouths to feed. it is just, IMO, a sweet coincidence that bees doing their thing is advantageous to the planet, beyond any measure we have. when i first started growing AGs, i mimicked a grower and put a small paper bag over a flower, (not sure of the type), and when i removed it the next day, there was a cucumber beetle staring me in the face...i wonder if they do static cling...THAT is where a nylon mesh bag is needed most...and a cup for the bees...and clips or string for ALL;
still, in a picture of a bee on the edge of a crocus, it appeared that there were stray grains...if bees were George Costanza, they'd make every conscious effort to the point of insanity to save every 'penny' of pollen they could, whereas Kramer bees would have it spilling out of every pocket/orifice, pissing Georges off and yet still having something to show for a hard day's work about it; this is all good and thank you ALL for your thus-far responses---eg

7/4/2018 4:42:12 AM

Hadley Ny

Backhward zip tie with a cup

7/4/2018 6:52:58 AM

Central Illinois

slipe a ring over the female flower, that will stop all pollination

7/4/2018 9:14:04 AM

Syracuse, NY

HAH! started my 4th just right, lol----

7/4/2018 11:32:34 AM

Chesapeake City, MD

Baitman -- your comment works with women, too.

7/5/2018 4:09:18 PM