i have a pumpkin field about 1-2 air mile away. should i keep my hives in my yard or bring them closer to the pumpkin field?
Just how far away, 1 or 2? How big of a pumpkin field? Is it your field? I don't think I would move my hives over it.
If the field is of several acres, and you can get permission, then I would move my bees to it. My opinion and worth what it cost you.
just talked to the farmer ..7 acres total. what i was thinking was place them in a area where it would be away from spray activity .. like to try it to see how it would benefit me and see if it would increase his yield..
cucurbits tend to be poor forage, very low flower to acre ratio compared to almost anything else. I think the bees will get far more from the surrounding are than they will from the pumpkins. The only benefit will be to the farmer, and if you said 7 acres, (I can't tell if that is 7 or .7 acres!) if you move them close, you are basically removing 7 acres of good forage from the bees, since pumpkins aren't good forage.
Just my $.02.
I agree with Rick, I haven't seen diddly squat bees on my Atlantic Giant pumpkins, but I do have a number of fruit set so somebody is doing their job. Lots of bees on the clover, porcelain vine, thistle, and other weeds.
I wouldn't waste time trying to get closer to pumpkins.
BTW, I hope I have to call on Charlie Brown this Halloween :-D
Quote from: adamant on July 19, 2011, 09:24:33 PM
just talked to the farmer ..7 acres total. what i was thinking was place them in a area where it would be away from spray activity .. like to try it to see how it would benefit me and see if it would increase his yield..
I would not get any closer (about a mile or 2 away) I would not move
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
Leave them where they are. Its not worth the disruption in their present flight patterns and I question moving them to an area where you know they will be spraying. Think drift. Also at that distance they may have already found them if they don't have a better source closer.
I would ask how much he is willing to pay you to move them closer. From what I have read that most commercial guys have to leave a super of honey on the hive during melons to keep them from starving because the bees get so little from the melons I would think pumpkins would fall under the same as melons so unless he is willing to pay you for your hive leave it alone. Second pollination is how some guys make their living so you would be stepping on their toes doing it for free well not free it would be at your cost. Sorta like opening a free car repair shop what would make you want to do that.
mine bring in a fair amount of pollen from the squash and pumpkin, but you want them to be storing nectar for winter. i wouldn't move. if they find them....fine.
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I would check what are pastures near pumpcin fieds. How long the collection of flowers bloom to give goo yield
surely a small nuc is enough to pollinate pumkin flowers.
But you could try with one hive, is the pumpkin area better pasture than your own yard area. Effective foraging radius is under one mile.
This tells a lot.
http://extension.psu.edu/susag/news/2011/Jan-2011/1-squash-bees (http://extension.psu.edu/susag/news/2011/Jan-2011/1-squash-bees)