Hay fever is due to an allergic reaction to pollen grains in the air. Pepper plants tend to produce a lot of pollen, hence people with hay fever or other allergies working in pepper greenhouses often suffer a lot. With the occurrence of hay fever and allergies in our society being on the increase, the issue is also becoming quite common in pepper cultivation.
Sam Gui, advisor of Biobest Belgium, recommends a smart solution to reduce hay fever issues in pepper greenhouses. “Just use bumblebees in the greenhouse throughout the season. Not only will you get excellent pollination, bumblebees will collect the pollen from the flower so that less pollen ends up floating in the air. This can considerably improve the working conditions in the greenhouse.”
Should pepper growers then take a doctor’s appointment to get a bumblebee prescription? Sam recommends a direct call to Biobest instead. “Your health insurance won’t cover the bees but they are an economical and effective solution to pollinate your crop and to reduce pollen concentration in the air. Moreover, using them may save you a doctor’s visit because of acute hay fever and hence avoid the need to resort to hay fever medication, which is more expensive and may cause side effects.”
For more information
Biobest Belgium NV
Ilse Velden 18
2260 Westerlo - Belgium
T +32 14 25 79 80
F +32 14 25 79 82