Beginner Question: Boxes Per Acre and how high??

[Imperial]

Hi guys,

I'm still very new to agriculture in general let alone beekeeping so I have a question for you which might seem very silly but so sorry in advance.

I notice that when pollinating commercially they have several colonies on pallets, usually four. I've seen pictures in fact of them stacked up 3-4 colonies high, particularly when being transported.

Could you please advise me of how many colonies there should be per acre? Or is it something that really depends on the type of crop/tree? If it does depend then perhaps you can tell me how many per acre for oranges and other flowers?

Also, is it okay to have the pallets stacked on top of each other while they're out for pollination?

Thanks again for your time.

[Wisnewbee]

The number of colonies per pallet is usually 4 or 6. This is a preference of the beekeeper. The pallets are usually not stacked while out in the fields. Here is a link to a page on Wikipedia that lists the number of hives per acre for various crops. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollination_management Hope this answers some of your questions.

Wisnewbee

[Rader Sidetrack]

Commercial pollinator typically move their hives multiple times per year. So densities of hives per acre for pollinators while pollinating does not apply to you if your hives stay in one place year-round.

Of course it varies by climate and location, and beekeeper, but often recommendations for static beeyards are somewhere around 20 hives.

Now, I expect you will hear about exceptions ....

[Imperial]

Thanks guys, so what about for orange blossoms? How many per acre?

There are a lot of growers here in South Florida so I was wondering what I might need.

[Wisnewbee]

It's most likely around 2 hives per acre, but it's really up to what the grower wants in their orchard. Be advised that oranges are different then most other crops being pollinated. Most crops the grower pays the beekeeper to bring in bees. Most times the beekeeper pays the grower to bring bees into oranges because the bees make so much honey while in the oranges.

[Imperial]

Wow, the beekeeper paying the orange grower? That's not great at all. How much honey does each box produce in oranges?

[Joseph Clemens]

Some citrus crops need no pollination to set fruit. And some of those, when pollinated, have an increase in how many seeds are in the fruits, which can then make the fruits less desirable than otherwise.