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email address is at the bottom of this page
2011
Disclaimer: Honeybee Australis
takes no responsibility for the content of this page and makes no representations
as to the nature of the services advertised or the character of any
advertisers.
Pollination is the transfer of pollen to the female part
of the flower. In horticulture & agriculture adequate pollination
ensures a prolific and high quality crop. In many plants this is done
buy insects (bees).
For crops where bees are required for pollination Yields
may be increased by over 500% by placing the appropriate number of strong
colonies of bees so they can pollinate the crop.
Why are strong colonies needed?
The hives of bees need to be strong (have many bees in
it) because a hive with 40,000 bees in it will have a lot more bees
foraging (pollinating) than a hive with 20,000 bees
Why pay for pollination?
Without payment there is no contract so the beekeeper
can remove their hives before pollination is complete. They may do this
if a more attractive offer arises. Also modern agriculture/horticulture
tends towards a monoculture situation this will not provide a balanced
diet for the bees. For beehives to remain strong some sort of supplementary
feeding is often necessary
What should beekeepers deliver?
Bees for pollination should be
The appropriate strength
At the appropriate time
Bees should also be of placid temperament
Nuisance swarms should be dealt with promptly
What do growers need to provide?
Easy access to the site (bees are often moved at
night)
Access to water (bees can use over 1 liter per hive
per day)
Information on proposed spraying programs (dead bees
will not pollinate any thing)
Other factors to be considered
The distance the beekeeper has to travel
The number of hives that make up one load
Facilities for the beekeeper to camp on the property
People with small hobby farms would probably be best served
by an amateur beekeeper that would leave their hives on the property all
year
For more information on bees and pollination please look
at the following web page this will take you off this site so you may
wish to bookmark this page
2011