Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Avoiding spray poisoning
One of the main problems for beekeepers is pesticides, and these may not originate
from the orchard where your bees are but from the one next door or downwind of you.
If your bees suffer from spray poisoning, you may lose your livelihood. Dead colonies
are expensive in time and cash to replace, so go for the sprayer. This may be a contractor
who should know better but has a tight schedule to maintain, or a grower who hasn't
thought to check on their neighbours. Whatever happens, take action. If someone's
cows are stolen and killed, there is always trouble. The situation should be no different
for bees.
Siting hives
The siting of your hives for pollination is critical because you want the most out of your
bees. Bees tend to fly at temperatures above 14° C (57° F) and not when it is very windy.
The hives, therefore, should be sited in sunny areas facing the sun and, if possible, near
a wind-break. Some beekeepers place their hives in laagers, surrounded by bales of
straw. For field crops, hives are often sited along the hedgerow. Although this may be
convenient for the beekeeper and farmer, it may not be the best place because bees tend
to go to the nearest flowers and may therefore miss the centre of a field - or at least not
pollinate it so well.
Siting and timing differ between crops, and so it is essential to obtain the advice of a
horticultural consultant who knows a particular crop and its requirements. The farmer
may also be aware of this, and so their advice should be sought as well.
Calculating the number of hives needed
The number of hives per hectare or acre is a major consideration, and this depends
on several factors, such as the attractiveness of the crop to the bees and any rivalry
from nearby, more attractive or equally attractive plants. In parts of New Zealand, for
example, clover flowering can overlap with manuka flowering, and in kiwi orchards it is
a tricky business to keep the bees' minds on the job if attractive wild flowers are around.
Kiwis give no nectar, and so feeding the bees with sugar syrup is an essential, added
cost.
