Siting Bees for Maximum Pollination
How to Maximize the flying time of bees
in the Orchard or Crop
- Provide a sunny north/northeast facing site for spring pollination.
- Provide shade for summer pollination.
- Flat or gently sloping ground to the north is best.
- Where possible provide shelter from the prevailing cold southerly/south
westerly
winds.
- Bee sites, where possible should NOT be near water points, gateways
or high traffic
areas.
- Truck access to the site in all weather conditions is required.
- Clean fresh water available (that has not had spray drift land on it) – bees
require fresh
water.
- Check all labels of sprays for any effects on bees – if required
spray any chemicals late
in the afternoon after bees have finished flying. This is providing spray
has only a 12
hour withholding period for bees.
- If a chemical that has a bee withholding period of more than 12 hours
is required to be
used, then inform the beekeeper and discuss the options with the beekeeper.
Removing
the bees from the orchard may be the only option.
- Regardless of which way
the entrance of the bee hive is facing, the bees will pollinate in
ALL directions from the hive. Temperature will dictate the distance that
bees will fly
and pollinate.
- Orchard under netting – then bees should be under netting.
Bees do not like flying in
under netting to pollinate.
- When the primary crop is flowering try to remove
flowering grasses (clovers,
dandelions, etc) from the orchard if possible. This can be done by slashing.
- Bees
should be bought in at 10% flowering – that way bees work the
target crop. If
bees arrive too early they will find other nectar and pollen sources and
when the target
crop flowers the bees may not change to the target crop.
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