Pumpkin Pollenation

[Trapper]

I been asked to bring in bees to pollinate 12 acres of pumpkins next year. Anyone know the number of hives per acre I should use ? Thanks

[BjornBee]

Depends on the surrounding competing forage and the layout of the 12 acres. Do you want them in one spot, or are you going to place a couple here and a couple there?

Punpkins are not high nectar sources. The bees work them mainly till about mid-morning and then move on to other nearby nectar plants. They mainly hit the pumpkin flowers for pollen. It is important to have brood rearing hives.

Idealy, because I hate to spread the hives out which creates more work, I would suggest a minimum of 10-12 strong hives centrally located.

If it like some farms where the 12 acres are piece-meal and not a "square, then I may be inclined to add a few more. Something like 16 to 20.

Be prepared to move them off the farm as soon as you can depending on how they are for stores. Alot of beekeepers have very light hives after pumpkin pollination. Although with only 12 acres, the competing forage plants should be enough.

[Jonathan Hofer]

What would be the going rate for pumpkin pollenation per hive?

[sqkcrk]

$40. 00 U.S.

As a pollinator I try to get as much for my service as my market will bear. Just like selling honey by the case or jar.

You'll never know how much you could have gotten until you are turned down by your customer. In other words, your customer will tell you how much they are willing to spend and then you have to decide if it's worth it to you.

Moving beehives is hard work and hard on the bees. People who don't know from experience think that beekeepers should be glad to have their hives in an apple orchard during bloom because of all of that pollen that the bees have access to. Not so.

Jon, what do your fellow Manitoba beekeepers charge for pollination?

[size="1"][ December 13, 2006, 01:57 PM: Message edited by: sqkcrk ][/size]

[Jonathan Hofer]

Hello sqkcrk
I do not know if the pollination business in Manitoba is really big. I have heard of very few beekeepers offering their hives for pollination, mainly because there are very few fruit crops grown in my paritcular area, although it could maybe be a small niche market that someone could get into. I don't know of any pollination fees, and I was just asking because of curiosity.


JH