Olives

Started by malachii, March 22, 2011, 09:51:54 AM

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malachii

I have a friend who owns an Olive Farm who has offered to let me keep some of my hives there.  I was wondering if anyone had any experience with bees and olives.  Google seems to say they are only wind pollinated but I have talked to others who say that bees help.  They also indicated that the bees will collect a lot of pollen from olives.  No one seemed to know what "olive honey" tasted like.

Any input would be appreciated.

malachii

wd

I'm in an area where olives are grown, harvested, cured, processed for market and shipped. I don't of anyone here that requires honey bees for pollination as say almonds. I've kept bees in olive orchards as  others do, pollen is spread every where by wind, a light yellow dust. Wind is the primary source of pollination,  insects are secondary. It's a last resort for the honey bee and other insects. The trees are planted like a male to female ratio.

http://www.agric.wa.gov.au/PC_91824.html?s=1001




malachii

Do you know if the pollen is collected by the bees at all or is it so wind blown the bees cant use it?  Is the honey produced strong/dark/light?

My hives aren't there to pollinate his olives - he's just letting me use the corner of his paddock.

malachii

wd

#3
Speaking of the hives I had in olives, they produced honey of gold in color, not as light as a star thistle honey, a tad darker, not a dark brown. Tasted like good sweet honey to me. I never witnessed the bees taking pollen on olives trees themselves. Olives are heavy pollinators, it blows everywhere, it was all over the hives too. Easy pickens, if they took any, I didn't see it or put it under a micro scope.

Personally, I would keep hives in olives again but I wouldn't rely on olive pollen alone, I think they look else first. According to the studies I've looked at where a microscope is used, they do take some (little) olive pollen in.

Lets not forget sources of nectar.