A Snippet

[Perry]

I found this interesting. It is just a small piece from the Bee Culture "Catch The Buzz" newsletter. I stopped moving my bees to blueberries about 4 years ago and have never looked back.

" Blueberry fields in Maine are often stocked up to 6 colonies/acre and bees need re-habbing when blueberry bloom is over; the $100+ pollination fee for blueberries doesn’t cover the costs involved for many beekeepers."

[neillsayers]

Perry,

What is it about blueberries?
If I asked this before please forgive me, my memory is faulty.

[Perry]

I think the stress of moving them, then the mono-floral diet which is lacking, and then the move out.
It used to be that beekeepers would place a hive or 2 per acre and there they would sit for 3 weeks and then they would come out. The big commercials discovered a better way though. By doing it as I described, the areas closest to the hives received good pollination but areas further out not as much. Now the practice for the large guys is to flood a field with 8 hives per acre, but only leave them there for 4 or 5 days and then move them again and possibly again, following the temperatures. You get concentrated pollination in a short period of time, so I assume you would also have the fruit ripening at the same time as well which would make that end of things more efficient.
It may be better for the growers, but I don't think so much for the keepers. Don't forget that many of the largest beekeepers are growers that keep bees for a purpose.

[neillsayers]

Is it necessary to supplement feed during this time?

[Perry]

Some guys send them into blueberries with pollen patties in them.

[LazyBkpr]

Yep, more hives are desirable, there are other flowering plants that MAY draw the bees away from the little they get from the blueberries.. kind of like putting syrup out during a flow. If the bees are on something good they will not touch the syrup. The same happens with the blueberries, so if there are a LOT of bees the chances of getting the blueberries pollinated are higher..   Yes the bees will have pollen patties on them when they roll for Maine, and its about 120 per hive at the moment for blueberry pollination services..    Cost is about $1200.00 for the round trip with tolls taking them out myself.
   Moving the hives more often also results in losing foragers. I got around that by suggesting splitting the hives up further. Not as easy to go to several locations to unload, but easier than picking them up and moving them every week.
   I already have requests for MORE hives, thats not going to happen this time, but it may happen the next time, depending on how this first trip goes.  If it DOES hurt my bees badly enough, this may be my only trip.
   Scott

[neillsayers]

Hope it works well for you, Scott.

I have several friends and acquaintances in this area that raise small blueberry operations. Most are organic and run as much you-pick as possible so I find the possibility of pollination contracts intriguing. I used to have 3 acres of blueberries and an acre of blackberries until life circumstances led me to sell out.

[brooksbeefarm]

I've had several blueberry farms call me for pollination, but i never got into it. Had other beekeepers say bees can starve to death on blueberries and cucumbers?? Jack

[Les]

No wonder the bees struggle, what an unnatural way of life. 

[Bakersdozen]

All the literature says that blueberries provide a good quality honey and that they are a very good source of nectar and pollen.    I wonder if the timing has anything to do with the stress placed on colonies.  I believe blueberries bloom in late May to early June, depending on location.  This is comparing apples to oranges, but almond pollinators move their bees in February.  Just a thought.

[apisbees]

All the literature says that blueberries provide a good quality honey and that they are a very good source of nectar and pollen.    I wonder if the timing has anything to do with the stress placed on colonies.  I believe blueberries bloom in late May to early June, depending on location.  This is comparing apples to oranges, but almond pollinators move their bees in February.  Just a thought.

The amount of sugars in the nectar is lower than what the bees prefer to collect. If there is anything else in the area that is blooming the bees will fly past the blue berries to it. If conditions are wright they can produce a surplus of honey. but if conditions are poor the hives can and have starved to death while sitting in the blueberry patch. In order to get the bees to work the BB flowers the patches are flooded with bees. 2 to 5 hives per acre. The population is so concentrated that there is not enough other forage out side of the BB patch that the bees are forced to work the less desirable BB's. To get the true value of what a crop is worth to the bees you only need to look at the cost charged for pollination.
Almonds $175.    honey and pollen for build up
Blueberry $120.   Honey only in a good year Hope the flow will hold the bees
Black and Raspberry $65. get a super of honey per hive
Fruit trees $65. 3/4 of a super great for hive build up and to carry the bees over to the main honey flow
Canola Free to $65. Not as nice as honey as clover and alfalfa honey so if given the choice beekeepers will stay away from Canola fields unless paid for it or there is nothing else available. Very good yield just crystallizes quickly.
Clover or Alfalfa seed production and hay fields. Free...  very good honey with high yields.

[LazyBkpr]

Apis is spot on, as usual.
   I will be prepared to supplement the bees.    Unlike most LARGE scale pollinators, I will stay there, WITH my bees during their pollination of the blueberries. I will check the hives, and will know if they are losing weight, or gaining weight.
   Preparation makes a lot of difference. I will be feeding starting in late March, to insure they have reserves in the event the blueberry nectar is not sufficient.  I will have patties ON the hives, and I will keep track of them...   having 100  to 120 hives on Blueberries allows me to take the time I need to insure my bees are well cared for..   Traveling cross country with them is stress enough.
   In speaking with some of the larger companies that pollinate blueberries, they seem to think that a certain LOSS is inevitable, but acceptable..   I prefer to mitigate the loss as much as I can since I am not a LARGE company or corporation...
   Those smaller operations, that have 30 to 100 acres of blueberries STILL need pollinators, but the BIG GUYS dont care to deal with them. They want to haul 2000 (or more) hives in and drop them, and come back in three or four weeks to get their checks..   
   If I can expand enough to cover SOME of those smaller acreages/blueberry flats AND, keep my bees healthy...   I hope to be able to make ends meet.  I already have some of those smaller growers contacting me.. I just do NOT have the ability... YET...
    No, it will not be easy...   Consider the Transmission on the truck Dying half way there...   30K worth of bees (or more) will die on the trailer..  The traveling beeks call it "Burning up"
    Definitely NOT worth the 10 to 20K paycheck...   However, if the trip is successful, and the bees arrive home in fair shape.. they have the rest of the spring and summer to grow, be split, as in artificial swarm... and be sold as Nucs or hives....
   Yes, it is a risk...     I am prepared to take the risk, if it means my wife can one again be at my side.
   The bonus, will be having a place in Maine I can go to, and tell Perry to Come on DOWN!!!!

[Bakersdozen]

Thanks for the explanation, apis.  My theory was off base.  Here in the heartland we don't have the acidic soil for blueberries, so not much experience.  It does concern me that all the literature I have read is misleading about blueberries.  This may be the same reason why bees should be working a particular plant, but don't.  I see that all the time. 

[apisbees]

Books on bee plants play the virtues of what the plant can produce. There is so many more factors that effect the nectar. Temperature, moisture, humidity Hours of sunshine, the type of soil, even the elevation can effect a plants nectar output. 

[Bakersdozen]

Books on bee plants play the virtues of what the plant can produce. There is so many more factors that effect the nectar. Temperature, moisture, humidity Hours of sunshine, the type of soil, even the elevation can effect a plants nectar output.

Totally agree with how all the variables come into play concerning nectar production.  Timing of moisture is important too.  Honey Plants of North America by John H Lovell, 1926, pgs. 16-17.  Lovell states exactly what you just said.

[vvand111]

Great stuff guys  Thanks

Vandy