How many acres to run a hive?

Hotburn76 · August 09, 2014, 02:03:10 PM

I know I have read that bees can go in a two or three mile radius of the hive and cover up to 8000 acres, but if they were limited to say a nice clover field, how big would the field have to be? I have four acres that I can plant bee friendly stuff on, but if its just a fraction of what they need not sure if its worth it, but if four acres is like a Burger King in there back yard then it may be worth it? Any guys plant for bees and see measurable results?

sc-bee · August 09, 2014, 06:14:46 PM

Quote from: Hotburn76 on August 09, 2014, 02:03:10 PM
but if they were limited to say a nice clover field, how big would the field have to be?

I am sure you realize you can not limit them. A small planting helps mostly in our mind. In others words not likely to impact your honey harvest. 4 acres I am sure they benefit some from it and if hundreds of folks had that small [planting mentality then...... :)

Hotburn76 · August 09, 2014, 07:51:28 PM

Thanks for the reply, and you may be right with just easying my mind, I read one of my best beekeeping quotes a while back, bees biggest problem is the solutions beekeepers try to offer! Mainly curious on the math of a pound of honey. I have seen it on how much nectar it takes to make a pound, and how many trips a bee makes for a pound. I just haven't seen how much "average" land per pound or hive?

sc-bee · August 09, 2014, 08:50:18 PM

Quote from: Hotburn76 on August 09, 2014, 07:51:28 PM
I just haven't seen how much "average" land per pound or hive?

A lot of that is location dependent. And as strange as it may seem they can have a source right under there little noses, so to speak, and ignore it for a source they were locked in on earlier further away. Even if the closer source is a better one. They will work the first located source till they work it dry. Odd but sometimes the case :?

Michael Bush · August 09, 2014, 09:00:30 PM

I know I have read that bees can go in a two or three mile radius of the hive and cover up to 8000 acres

A two mile radius is 8,038 acres, a three mile radius is 18,086 acres. And yes they will fly 2 miles fairly often and three if they have to.

>but if they were limited to say a nice clover field, how big would the field have to be?

What if there were no hypothetical questions? During the clover bloom it would be one thing. After the clover bloom and before it would be a different situation...

BeeMaster2 · August 09, 2014, 10:12:43 PM

Hotburn,
I just bought a 25 pound bag of white clover, not cheap. I will mix it in with rye seed and use my 5' long grass seeder to spread at a rate of 3 pounds an acre. It would bee hard to spread at that rate by its self but if it will stay mixed in the hopper it should work out pretty good. I am planting it for 3 reasons. One for adding nitrogen, for grazing and for the bees during the summer dearth.
I will have to cut the grass just before seeding. I will also have to wait until September to plant it here in N Fl.
Jim

OldMech · August 09, 2014, 11:19:27 PM

I am going to disagree a little.. I remember reading in Bee Journal or Bee culture, a post by ... Larry Connor? been a while since I read that.. It said four or five acres could support 20 hives if well planted.. Well planted meaning a diversity of plants blooming at different times of the season..
Planting draws and fence rows with alfalfa, Sainfoin, Buckwheat and sweet clovers has dramatically improved my harvest.. I am talking about just over 4 acres of draws and crick bottom.. I was so impressed I am going to plant another 6 acres of set aside next spring. I also have hives I put I put on man made wetlands this year. They doubled the income of hives in other outyards surrounded by fields and forest. 2 Acres of sunflowers and about 20 acres of un grazed pasture with plots for deer planted here and there. A LOT of flowers and the Goldenrod is JUST about to start. IF, the trend this year is anywhere near similar next year I will be planting in excess of 40 acres around different outyards the following spring.
So... I have to say that planting something beneficial to the bees will be.. Well, Beneficial to the bees! An acre or five acres.
The hard part is making it worth your while.. I already have the land, the tractor, the disk etc... if you have to hire it out, it will not be as cost efficient. According to everything I have read about what I planted, I need to disk and replant about every 5 years. Just over a grand on seed, and about two hundred in fuel.
Over a ton of honey is worth over 4 grand at bulk price. 5 years worth? over 20 grand. Yep! 30 production hives averaging 50 lbs a year of honey harvested = 1500 lbs.. With the added forage the yield was closer to 75 lbs per hive = 2250 lbs thats 3450.00 VS 5175.00 First year increase paid for the planting.. Admittedly, drought and dearth would have an impact. But even if you only managed to see the benefit for 2 of the 5 years you will still see a bonus.

The 2 acres of sunflowers at the new outyard were about 25 yards away from where I set the hives.. Within a week of placing the hives the bees were POUNDING the sunflowers. Again, I admit they were not there previously to be lured away to other nectar sources, so they found the sunflowers quickly.
Cost and reward is the limiting factor. If you have two hives planting 5 acres will not gain you much.. A booming harvest from those two hives, but it will not cover the price of seed and fuel.

sc-bee · August 10, 2014, 12:01:34 AM

Nice post Old M :goodpost:

jayj200 · August 10, 2014, 11:16:17 AM

all good answers.
remember this a crop only flowers for a finite time.some flowers only last 24 hrs. some flowerings as little a a week or for only a month. the quality of this crop is decided by the bees.as stated in the previous reply.
an abundant mix will get you closer to your goals.
a planned, crops, that extends the flowers for many months, with abundant enough source. they will go to