1st pollination job

likes2grill · May 16, 2010, 11:36:36 PM

I got my 1st pollination job the other day for a watermelon field how fast do bees build on this? Any honey from this?

buzzbee · May 16, 2010, 11:41:41 PM

Great to here about the pollination job Dan. I'll have to let someone else answer on the buildup.

REDBEE · May 18, 2010, 12:23:23 PM

bees will not build up or have any extra honey on mellons,just not enought bloom,better hope there's something else bees will work in the surrounding area.

Superdog · May 18, 2010, 04:08:15 PM

Good job! If you don't mind me asking. How many hives are they requesting and how many total hives do you have. Im curious cause some day I might want to go that route and wonder how big one has to be to start pollinating.

Thanks
Mike

NWIN Beekeeper · May 19, 2010, 01:54:41 AM

I agree, melons do not provide much bloom.

But unless your grower is producing melons alone in a desert, its fair to say that they will do as well as any other locality - after all, they aren't tying up too much time if there are limited blooms, and they more on to better/other sources.

The element that people tend to forget is pollen.
And after last years contracts, the colonies that were on melons did considerably better than those in lesser forage. I believe that the pollen and mild nector source provided a pre-season stimulus that jump started the colonies. Sometimes your gains are down avenues you aren't considering.

likes2grill · May 19, 2010, 02:03:40 PM

Quote from: Superdog on May 18, 2010, 04:08:15 PM
Good job! If you don't mind me asking. How many hives are they requesting and how many total hives do you have. Im curious cause some day I might want to go that route and wonder how big one has to be to start pollinating.

Thanks
Mike

I just have the 5 strong hives but its just a small field maybe 10 acres.

Superdog · May 19, 2010, 04:53:28 PM

Good to know that there are some small entry level jobs out there too. I should start looking for those. Good luck!!

slacker361 · May 22, 2010, 10:22:34 PM

what is the range in cost for rental of a beehive?

likes2grill · May 23, 2010, 05:53:20 PM

Quote from: slacker361 on May 22, 2010, 10:22:34 PM
what is the range in cost for rental of a beehive?

I'm not sure yet. The hives I have out now are free. Just doing it to get my hive numbers up so that I will have enough to charge for.

likes2grill · May 23, 2010, 05:57:47 PM

Its time to make some splits :-D in the field question is...

Do I bring the splits home or move the somewhere else in the same field?

likes2grill · June 05, 2010, 11:17:28 PM

Okay... I had to find my own answer but thanks.

rast · June 06, 2010, 09:07:55 AM

Location, location, location.
Here, the truck farming pollination is usually at the tail end of the citrus bloom so the bees are already built up and thinking about swarming. Make nucs from the strong hives before you put them in. Don't take the queen! For good pollination they need to be still in a brood expansion mind set. They need room for the queen to lay so they want lots of pollen coming in to feed them with. Here, we feed them while on melons, cucumbers and squash. This is what the farmer is paying us for. You want the farmer to say he had more bloom set with your bees this year than in a long time. Course its a double edged sword, if he gets bad seed, fertilizer, etc., it can get blamed on poor bees. The going rate was $45-$50 a box this year.

likes2grill · June 06, 2010, 04:07:21 PM

Thanks rast that helps.

westmar · July 11, 2010, 10:00:25 AM

hi
the going rate is that for the time there ,or is it so much a week.

ronwhite3030 · August 03, 2010, 05:42:40 AM

Quote from: likes2grill on May 23, 2010, 05:57:47 PM
Its time to make some splits :-D in the field question is...

Do I bring the splits home or move the somewhere else in the same field?

what was the answer Dan?