Working Crops

From BeeWiki

Overview

If you are wanting to take your honey bees to areas in your area to work crops or someone who is wanting to improve your own crops, This section is for you.

Honey bees are recognized as one of the most consistent, dependable pollinators in the insect world. This is due in large part to the ability to manage them in man made hives, and their ability to focus on one flower type at a time until that flower type has been completely exhausted in the area.

Measurements

One of the biggest questions people have is how many bees to put on an acre for each type of crop.

Usually, you will see something like 2 to 3 hives per acre. This can vary though on the conditions and the crop.

If you see a measurement in 'hectares", one hectare equals about 2.4 acres so if you see a recommendation for 4 fives per hectare, you can equivocate that to about 2 to 3 hives per acre.

Field Crops for Honey Bees

Honey bees are particularly effective with cucurbit plants. By definition, cucurbit plants are:

Any of various mostly climbing or trailing plants of the family Cucurbitaceae, which includes the squash,
pumpkin, cucumber, gourd, watermelon, and cantaloupe.

This includes other melons as well.

Honey Bees have been known to work soybeans in fields in lower Missouri and south. Above that line, honey bees are not seen as paying much attention to soybeans. Soybeans are not dependent on honey bees for pollination.

Corn can be worked by honey bees for the pollen, but corn pollen is very large and dry. Honey bees are most often seen working corn pollen after a light rain has dampened the pollen. Corn is not dependent on honey bees for pollination

It has been said that bees do more for many of these plants, especially vine plants, than the plants
do for the bees in terms of nectar and pollen production.

Related Information

Bee Pollination of Cucurbit Crops

Fruit plants for Honey Bees

Most apple trees, pears, cherries and plums benefit greatly from honey bee pollination.

There are some varieties of each of these that are self-pollinating, but they are in the minority.

With the exception of blueberries, Grape, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, gooseberry and currant plants are all self-fruitful.

Many orange tree types are self pollinating but still benefit from honey bee pollination Similar to peaches which are said to be self pollinating, but also benefit much from bee pollination as well.

Related information

Fruit Tree Pollination

Flowers and Trees for Honey Bees

How are flowers and trees a crop you ask? There are many nurseries and public gardens that essentially grow flowers and ornamental trees as a means of generating income.

There are quite a few flowering trees, those that provide fruits and nuts and those that are more decorative. Many nurseries are glad to have bees in the area to help with pollination.

Also, there are people with more elaborate gardens and yards that make use of flowering trees and plants who also benefit greatly from having bees to bring the best out of their gardens.

Honey bee pollination of flowers and trees can help produce larger, 'fuller' flowers and in more quantity, thereby improving the overall perceived value of the flowers and plants to potential customers and visitors.

In many cases, nurseries and public gardens have relied on feral honey bees for pollination. As the decrease in feral colonies has become more profound, it makes a big difference in the overall quality and presentation to those growers who relied on those feral colonies. Many of whom are now becoming more active in seeking to have bee hives placed on their property.