The Tomato Conspiracy

1
00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:11,760
Okay, so picture this. It's six o' clock in the morning.

2
00:00:12,240 --> 00:00:14,320
I'm crouched by my tomato planter,

3
00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:17,680
literally timing how long bees spend on each flower.

4
00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,640
My neighbor walks by with his black doodle. Beautiful,

5
00:00:22,140 --> 00:00:25,440
beautiful little dog. He stops. They both stare

6
00:00:25,940 --> 00:00:27,880
at me, and I know what they're thinking.

7
00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:31,880
There goes that crazy bumblebee lady.

8
00:00:32,760 --> 00:00:34,360
So I smile and I wave.

9
00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:40,760
But here's the thing he doesn't know. And honestly, what most

10
00:00:41,260 --> 00:00:44,840
of America doesn't know. Every single time you bite into a tomato,

11
00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:49,000
you're tasting the work of a pollinator that isn't a honeybee.

12
00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:52,780
In fact, honeybees are about as useful for tomato pollination as.

13
00:00:53,010 --> 00:00:56,210
As I am at parallel parking. And that

14
00:00:56,530 --> 00:00:59,850
is not a pretty sight. That's right.

15
00:01:00,350 --> 00:01:03,810
Everything you think you know about who's pollinating your tomatoes is

16
00:01:04,310 --> 00:01:07,570
dead wrong. Like, completely wrong. And I'm about

17
00:01:08,070 --> 00:01:09,250
to blow your gardening mind.

18
00:01:19,340 --> 00:01:22,900
Welcome to the Secret Pollinators, the hidden heroes of

19
00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:26,460
all flower gardens. I'm your host, Kelly from Montana,

20
00:01:27,020 --> 00:01:30,140
and I'm the person my neighbors definitely think has

21
00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:34,860
lost my marbles, because I genuinely get excited about native bees.

22
00:01:35,420 --> 00:01:38,460
Not honeybees, native pollinators,

23
00:01:39,180 --> 00:01:42,580
like bumblebees, because they need to start getting

24
00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,140
some credit. And that's what this podcast is really all about.

25
00:01:47,100 --> 00:01:51,100
I mean, seriously, last week, I literally screamed because

26
00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:55,100
I spotted a metallic green sweat bee on one of my daisies,

27
00:01:55,660 --> 00:01:58,860
and my neighbor ran across the street and asked if I was okay.

28
00:02:00,060 --> 00:02:03,740
Well, I think I'm okay, but that might be debatable.

29
00:02:04,220 --> 00:02:06,380
And that's a whole other conversation.

30
00:02:08,220 --> 00:02:11,260
Look, I know what you're thinking. Oh, great. Great.

31
00:02:11,740 --> 00:02:15,180
Another podcast where some expert's gonna lecture me about

32
00:02:15,740 --> 00:02:18,860
Latin names that I can't pronounce

33
00:02:19,980 --> 00:02:21,980
and I'm just gonna fall asleep in my car.

34
00:02:23,020 --> 00:02:26,620
Wrong. This show is for people who want to know

35
00:02:27,120 --> 00:02:31,020
the real story about who's actually doing the work in your garden.

36
00:02:31,820 --> 00:02:35,300
I. I wanna tell it in a way that won't put you

37
00:02:35,800 --> 00:02:38,470
in a coma. I mean, seriously,

38
00:02:40,630 --> 00:02:43,190
some of these podcasts are pretty dry.

39
00:02:43,910 --> 00:02:47,510
Every week, we're going to bust myths,

40
00:02:47,830 --> 00:02:51,190
reveal secrets, and introduce you to

41
00:02:51,690 --> 00:02:53,990
pollinator heroes you never knew existed.

42
00:02:54,630 --> 00:02:57,790
And trust me, once you see what I

43
00:02:58,290 --> 00:03:01,630
see in gardens everywhere, you'll be

44
00:03:02,130 --> 00:03:05,880
the crazy, crazy pollinator person, too. Today,

45
00:03:06,380 --> 00:03:10,080
we're starting with the biggest garden conspiracy of all time, and it

46
00:03:10,580 --> 00:03:11,480
involves your tomatoes.

47
00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:18,919
The great tomato deception. Let's talk tomatoes.

48
00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:23,680
Some are still blooming, and some are growing on the

49
00:03:24,180 --> 00:03:26,520
vine. Beautiful, delicious,

50
00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:30,810
the pride of every summer garden. And if you're like most

51
00:03:31,310 --> 00:03:34,930
people, you probably think honeybees are out there doing God's work,

52
00:03:35,010 --> 00:03:39,330
pollinating your tomatoes so you can have that perfect blt.

53
00:03:41,970 --> 00:03:45,329
Here's a plot twist. Honeybees are basically the

54
00:03:45,829 --> 00:03:49,250
freeloaders of the tomato world. Let that sink in.

55
00:03:50,050 --> 00:03:53,410
I know, it's mind blowing. I was completely shocked.

56
00:03:54,050 --> 00:03:57,500
Let me explain why your tomatoes have been getting pollinated by

57
00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:00,340
completely different heroes this whole time.

58
00:04:01,940 --> 00:04:05,620
Here's the deal. Tomato flowers are basically tiny

59
00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:10,260
treasure chests. And the pollen is locked inside these tube like things called

60
00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:14,700
anthers. It's sort of like having your lunch money in a

61
00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:18,100
safe that requires a very specific combination to open.

62
00:04:19,700 --> 00:04:23,100
And in that case, I might be like a honeybee, because I

63
00:04:23,600 --> 00:04:25,820
can't even remember the code to my door.

64
00:04:27,500 --> 00:04:31,140
Honeybees show up to a tomato flower like I show

65
00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:35,500
up to a gym. They poke around awkwardly, maybe get a few crumbs,

66
00:04:35,660 --> 00:04:39,540
and mostly just look confused. They can only access the

67
00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:41,980
tiny bit of pollen that accidentally falls out.

68
00:04:42,780 --> 00:04:46,340
It's like trying to get ketchup out of a bottle by gently tapping

69
00:04:46,840 --> 00:04:48,620
it. Well, you know how well that works.

70
00:04:50,330 --> 00:04:53,810
But here's where it gets really wild. Tomato flowers need

71
00:04:54,310 --> 00:04:58,330
something called buzz pollination. And when I say buzz pollination,

72
00:04:58,890 --> 00:05:02,450
I don't mean just any buzzing around. I mean a

73
00:05:02,950 --> 00:05:06,090
very specific frequency, around 400 hertz.

74
00:05:06,730 --> 00:05:10,970
That basically gives the flower a tiny earthquake and

75
00:05:11,470 --> 00:05:14,970
makes all the pollen explode out at once. Isn't that cool?

76
00:05:16,590 --> 00:05:19,830
Honeybees literally can't do this. They don't have

77
00:05:20,330 --> 00:05:23,430
the right equipment. It's like asking a surgeon to perform

78
00:05:23,930 --> 00:05:27,310
brain surgery with a butter knife. I mean, theoretically, you could try,

79
00:05:27,790 --> 00:05:29,870
but you're not going to get the results you want.

80
00:05:37,390 --> 00:05:40,990
So who are the real tomato heroes? That sound

81
00:05:41,490 --> 00:05:46,040
you just heard, that is the sound of the actual MVPs

82
00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:47,960
of the tomato patch.

83
00:05:52,840 --> 00:05:56,320
Let's meet the real heroes. Ladies and

84
00:05:56,820 --> 00:06:00,200
gentlemen, meet the bumblebees. The Tom Cruise stunt

85
00:06:00,700 --> 00:06:04,200
performers of the pollinator world. These fuzzy,

86
00:06:04,280 --> 00:06:08,440
round absolute units are out here doing what honeybees

87
00:06:08,940 --> 00:06:11,660
literally can't do. Picture this,

88
00:06:12,380 --> 00:06:15,980
a bumblebee lands on your tomato flower and they are

89
00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:20,340
not gentle about it. They grab onto that flower like

90
00:06:20,840 --> 00:06:22,860
they're hugging their best friend. After a year apart,

91
00:06:25,100 --> 00:06:29,380
then, and this is kind of the amazing part, they disconnect

92
00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:33,140
their wings from their flight muscles and vibrate those muscles at

93
00:06:33,640 --> 00:06:37,470
the exact frequency 400Hz needed to

94
00:06:37,970 --> 00:06:42,670
make that tomato flower pollen flow

95
00:06:43,170 --> 00:06:46,710
out like rain. It's like they have

96
00:06:47,210 --> 00:06:51,190
tiny jackhammers built into their bodies. The pollen explodes

97
00:06:51,750 --> 00:06:55,310
out in this visible cloud and the bumblebee is just covered Head

98
00:06:55,810 --> 00:06:59,030
to toe in tomato pollen, and they're living their best life.

99
00:06:59,110 --> 00:07:01,430
Let me tell you, they are very happy.

100
00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,240
And here's what makes me absolutely lose my mind.

101
00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:09,400
They do this perfectly every single time.

102
00:07:10,120 --> 00:07:13,640
One bumblebee visit to a tomato flower can result

103
00:07:14,140 --> 00:07:17,320
in two to five times more fruit than a honeybee visit.

104
00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:20,840
Five times? That's crazy.

105
00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:26,880
I spend an embarrassing amount of time timing

106
00:07:27,380 --> 00:07:30,890
pollinator visits in my garden. Bumblebees would

107
00:07:31,390 --> 00:07:35,370
land, buzz, grab their pollen, and move on in about 15 seconds

108
00:07:35,870 --> 00:07:38,970
of pure efficiency. It's just a beautiful thing to watch.

109
00:07:39,770 --> 00:07:43,690
Honeybees will land, walk around looking lost for like 30 seconds,

110
00:07:44,010 --> 00:07:46,810
and maybe pick up a grain or two of pollen and leave.

111
00:07:47,370 --> 00:07:51,530
It was like watching a comparison between a professional pit crew and

112
00:07:52,030 --> 00:07:54,570
me trying to change a tire. It was just painful.

113
00:07:56,220 --> 00:07:59,980
But wait, there's more. Bumblebees work in weather

114
00:08:00,060 --> 00:08:01,980
that makes honeybees call in sick.

115
00:08:02,860 --> 00:08:06,380
They start working at 50 degrees, while Honeybees

116
00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:10,580
won't even think about leaving the hive until it's 55. They work early in the

117
00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:14,060
morning, late evening, and in light rain.

118
00:08:14,620 --> 00:08:17,500
These are the shift workers of the pollinator world.

119
00:08:18,620 --> 00:08:21,660
So next time someone tells you honeybees pollinate everything,

120
00:08:22,340 --> 00:08:26,260
you can tell them about the tomato conspiracy. But first,

121
00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:30,820
let me tell you what you can actually see in any garden planter

122
00:08:31,220 --> 00:08:32,900
or anywhere there are flowers.

123
00:08:36,180 --> 00:08:37,780
Your garden investigation.

124
00:08:40,020 --> 00:08:43,660
Okay, this is where you get to be slightly crazy

125
00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:47,500
like me. I'm going to teach you how to spot the difference between

126
00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:51,850
the freeloaders and the actual workers in your tomato patch or

127
00:08:52,350 --> 00:08:55,690
any flower garden. First is timing.

128
00:08:56,410 --> 00:08:59,930
The best bumblebee action happens early in the morning, and I'm

129
00:09:00,430 --> 00:09:03,570
talking 7 to 9am kind of when I'm out there in my

130
00:09:04,070 --> 00:09:07,770
pajamas with my coffee, looking like the neighborhood weirdo. But also

131
00:09:08,270 --> 00:09:12,410
early evening, 5 to 7pm Honeybees are more like normal

132
00:09:12,910 --> 00:09:16,260
people with regular work hours. Here's what to look

133
00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:19,540
for. When a bumblebee lands on your tomato flower,

134
00:09:19,860 --> 00:09:23,540
you'll actually hear the buzz pollination. It's a

135
00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,900
higher pitch than their flying buzz. Kind of like a tiny motorcycle

136
00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:32,180
rubbing. When you hear that sound, you're witnessing

137
00:09:32,680 --> 00:09:35,380
tomato magic happening. It's incredible.

138
00:09:36,260 --> 00:09:40,100
And if you're really lucky, and I mean really, really lucky,

139
00:09:40,420 --> 00:09:44,250
you might actually see the pollen clock. I'm not

140
00:09:44,750 --> 00:09:48,490
kidding. On a sunny morning with the light just right, you can see the

141
00:09:48,990 --> 00:09:52,130
pollen explosion. Like tiny golden fireworks.

142
00:09:53,170 --> 00:09:57,050
The first time I saw this, I literally gasped out loud and

143
00:09:57,550 --> 00:09:58,210
I scared my dog.

144
00:10:01,250 --> 00:10:04,610
But she's getting used to it, so all's good.

145
00:10:05,410 --> 00:10:08,450
Bumblebees also look different. They're fuzzy,

146
00:10:09,090 --> 00:10:12,530
round, and they move with confidence like,

147
00:10:13,030 --> 00:10:16,490
I own this garden. Honeybees are sleeker, they're more

148
00:10:16,990 --> 00:10:20,650
nervous looking, and they're not quite sure they should be there, which in the

149
00:10:21,150 --> 00:10:22,370
case of tomatoes, they really shouldn't.

150
00:10:24,529 --> 00:10:27,330
So if you want some homework, and yes,

151
00:10:27,890 --> 00:10:30,210
I'm giving you homework because I'm that kind of host.

152
00:10:31,410 --> 00:10:35,130
Spend 10 minutes watching your tomato plants during this prime bumblebee

153
00:10:35,630 --> 00:10:39,660
hours. I guarantee you'll see them doing work

154
00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:42,220
that honeybees just like, really can't do.

155
00:10:44,140 --> 00:10:47,540
And if you're feeling really brave, you can try to count how many flowers each

156
00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:50,700
type of bee visits. Bumblebees are efficient.

157
00:10:51,739 --> 00:10:55,380
They know what they're doing. Honeybees are more like

158
00:10:55,880 --> 00:11:03,710
me in a craft store. Lots of wandering around without a clear plan beyond

159
00:11:04,210 --> 00:11:07,110
tomatoes. Now, if you're thinking,

160
00:11:07,350 --> 00:11:10,470
okay, cool, Bumblebees are the tomato specialists,

161
00:11:10,870 --> 00:11:13,270
but surely honeybees are handling everything else.

162
00:11:14,070 --> 00:11:16,390
Oh, darling, we need to talk.

163
00:11:17,750 --> 00:11:20,630
Buzz pollination isn't just a tomato thing.

164
00:11:21,270 --> 00:11:24,750
Your blueberries, 90% of their pollination is done

165
00:11:25,250 --> 00:11:29,100
by native bees. And mostly bumblebees. Your eggplants,

166
00:11:29,500 --> 00:11:32,220
your peppers, even your cranberries.

167
00:11:32,700 --> 00:11:36,500
They're all part of the buzz pollination club that honeybees can't

168
00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:41,500
join. It's like this whole secret society of

169
00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:44,540
plants that require specialized pollinization services.

170
00:11:45,260 --> 00:11:49,020
And honeybees are standing outside the club going, but I'm a

171
00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:52,140
bee, too. I'm a bee, too. Sorry, honeybees,

172
00:11:52,460 --> 00:11:55,180
you're just not built for this exclusive lifestyle.

173
00:11:56,510 --> 00:11:59,550
And here's the other thing that keeps me up at night in a good way.

174
00:12:00,270 --> 00:12:03,590
There are over 4,000 species of native bees

175
00:12:04,090 --> 00:12:07,510
in North America. Four thousand bumblebees are just

176
00:12:08,010 --> 00:12:10,910
one type, and they're already outperforming honeybees.

177
00:12:11,149 --> 00:12:15,190
In your tomato garden. We've got mining bees that emerge

178
00:12:15,690 --> 00:12:19,310
from underground tunnels perfectly timed with your fruit trees. We've got

179
00:12:19,390 --> 00:12:22,910
tiny metallic sweat bees that look like flying

180
00:12:23,410 --> 00:12:26,830
emeralds. They are beautiful. And we've

181
00:12:27,330 --> 00:12:31,030
got mason bees that are 100 times more efficient than honeybees at pollinating

182
00:12:31,530 --> 00:12:35,630
apples. Each of these native bees has their own superpower,

183
00:12:35,950 --> 00:12:39,310
their own specialty crop, their own perfect timing.

184
00:12:39,870 --> 00:12:43,870
They're like a specialized workforce that's been doing this job for millions

185
00:12:44,370 --> 00:12:47,600
of years. While honeybees are the recent immigrants who are good at

186
00:12:48,100 --> 00:12:51,320
one thing, making honey, but they get credit for everything.

187
00:12:52,440 --> 00:12:55,080
That clearly drives me crazy.

188
00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:59,640
Next week, we're going to go underground to meet the mining bees,

189
00:12:59,880 --> 00:13:03,360
the ones that build tiny cities under your lawn and emerge

190
00:13:03,860 --> 00:13:07,480
like clockwork every spring to pollinate your fruit trees before honeybees

191
00:13:07,980 --> 00:13:11,840
even think about waking up. These bees have timing that

192
00:13:12,340 --> 00:13:15,790
would make a Swiss watchmaker jealous. Seriously.

193
00:13:19,310 --> 00:13:22,670
So here's your mission this week, should you choose to accept it.

194
00:13:22,990 --> 00:13:26,150
Become a tomato detective. Go watch some

195
00:13:26,650 --> 00:13:30,789
tomato plants during prime time. Listen for that buzz pollination

196
00:13:31,289 --> 00:13:35,270
sound. Look for those fuzzy, confident bumblebees doing

197
00:13:35,770 --> 00:13:39,310
the real work. And when you see it and when.

198
00:13:39,470 --> 00:13:43,430
Not if. Because once you know what to look for, you can't unsee it.

199
00:13:43,910 --> 00:13:47,270
I want you to tell someone. Tell your neighbor with the

200
00:13:47,770 --> 00:13:51,030
black doodle. Tell your gardening friend who swears by honeybees.

201
00:13:51,350 --> 00:13:55,550
Tell anyone who will listen that you just witnessed the tomato

202
00:13:56,050 --> 00:13:59,510
conspiracy in action. And better yet, film it.

203
00:14:00,790 --> 00:14:04,030
Post it with secret pollinators and

204
00:14:04,530 --> 00:14:07,590
tag me. I want to see your bumblebee action shots.

205
00:14:08,320 --> 00:14:11,120
I want to see your. Holy crap, I never noticed this before.

206
00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,000
Faces. I live for this stuff.

207
00:14:15,280 --> 00:14:17,680
Remember pollinator detectives?

208
00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:22,040
The best pollinators are the ones hiding in plain

209
00:14:22,540 --> 00:14:26,080
sight. They're working while you're drinking your morning

210
00:14:26,580 --> 00:14:30,000
coffee. They're solving problems honeybees can't

211
00:14:30,500 --> 00:14:34,330
even understand. And now that you know their secret, you're part of

212
00:14:34,830 --> 00:14:35,410
an exclusive club.

213
00:14:38,450 --> 00:14:41,890
So if you'd like an assignment, here's one.

214
00:14:43,570 --> 00:14:47,810
Go find one pollinator this week that isn't a honeybee.

215
00:14:48,610 --> 00:14:52,050
I dare you. And when you do, you'll understand

216
00:14:52,210 --> 00:14:55,250
why I'm out here looking like the crazy pollinator lady.

217
00:14:55,810 --> 00:14:58,770
Because once you see the secret world of native pollinators,

218
00:14:59,580 --> 00:15:01,980
you can't go back to thinking honeybees do everything.

219
00:15:03,420 --> 00:15:06,540
Plus, honestly, this is like,

220
00:15:07,500 --> 00:15:11,500
super garden therapy. Watching bees is very relaxing.

221
00:15:13,020 --> 00:15:16,860
Until next time, keep watching for the secret pollinators.

222
00:15:17,420 --> 00:15:20,300
They're all around you. You just have to know where to look.

223
00:15:21,260 --> 00:15:24,220
And don't worry if your neighbors think you're a little obsessed.

224
00:15:24,950 --> 00:15:29,230
Trust me, you're in good company. I'm Kelly

225
00:15:29,730 --> 00:15:32,710
from Montana, and this has been the Secret Pollinators.

226
00:15:33,750 --> 00:15:37,190
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. And remember,

227
00:15:37,670 --> 00:15:41,710
the truth is buzzing in your backyard and all

228
00:15:42,210 --> 00:15:42,630
flower gardens.

229
00:15:47,750 --> 00:15:51,350
The Secret Pollinators podcast is produced by Kelly

230
00:15:51,850 --> 00:15:56,450
from Montana. Our sound effects and

231
00:15:56,950 --> 00:16:01,090
recordings feature actual bees because we're committed to accuracy.

232
00:16:02,530 --> 00:16:05,730
If this episode made you look at flower gardens differently,

233
00:16:06,770 --> 00:16:10,770
subscribe and share it with someone who needs to know the truth about native pollinators.

234
00:16:11,570 --> 00:16:14,730
And if you're feeling really generous, please leave us

235
00:16:15,230 --> 00:16:18,450
a review. It helps other pollinator detectives find the show.

236
00:16:20,130 --> 00:16:23,330
And next episode, Underground heroes.

237
00:16:23,730 --> 00:16:26,450
The mining bees building cities under your feet.

238
00:16:27,090 --> 00:16:29,890
Trust me, your lawn will never look the same.