Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Keith13 on March 18, 2008, 07:50:59 PM

Title: grape orchards
Post by: Keith13 on March 18, 2008, 07:50:59 PM
Okay i got a guy asking me to put two hives in the middle of his orchard. i didnt think that bees visited grapes am i wrong ? he has grapes as well as muscadines do bees work these plants?
Title: Re: grape orchards
Post by: Michael Bush on March 18, 2008, 10:24:07 PM
I don't know about muscadines.  But they don't seem interested in grapes, nor are the grapes dependent on bees.
Title: Re: grape orchards
Post by: deejaycee on March 18, 2008, 11:45:08 PM
I'm in vineyard country and, no, the grapes aren't bee pollinated.

Tends to be a lot of clover growing between the rows though, and the bees love that of course. 

BUT... because the growers don't need the bees, they don't tend to care at all what they spray (and a LOT of it is bee toxic), or when, nor do they bother to mow the clover before they spray.

Suffice to say yards next to vineyards are not considered prime locations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscadine

Seems muscadines are just another variety of grape, so same should apply.
Title: Re: grape orchards
Post by: Jerrymac on March 19, 2008, 10:51:15 AM
Go check this out

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php?topic=5777.0