In other States it may be possible, 
with the beekeeper’s agreement, to 
hire a knowledgeable hobby or 
side-line beekeeper to examine the 
rented colonies. If these options are 
not available, the beekeeper should, 
as part of the agreement, open hives 
in the presence of the renter. 
In good weather, the number of | 
bees flying at each hive entrance 
should be about the same. Fewer 
bees at the entrances of some hives 
may indicate weaker colonies. A 
better evaluation can be made by 
opening the hive and counting the 
number of frames covered with 
bees. This is accomplished by 
tipping the hive body and looking up 
from the bottom. Each frame will 
hold 1,300 to 1,500 bees. The best 
evaluation can be made if the frames 
are removed so that the brood can 
be seen as well as bees. Good-sized 
patches (hand palm or larger) of 
brood, well covered with bees on 
each of 5 to 12 frames, will ensure 
the need for pollen and an adequate 
supply of replacement foragers. 
Number of Colonies to Use 
Because of the wide variety of 
conditions that can exist in any area, 
it is not possible to state the precise 
number of bees that will be needed. 
The number of honey bees 
necessary depends, primarily, on the 
number of natural pollinators already 
in the area and the number of other 
flowering plants (crops or weeds) 
that may attract pollinating insects. 
Also, the attractiveness of the crop, 
the number of flowers per acre, the 
number of acres to be pollinated, 
duration of the bloom period, and 
anticipated weather conditions are 
factors that can affect the number of 
bees needed. 
The following list, developed from 
research data and field experience, 
shows the minimum number of 
strong honey bee colonies needed to 
pollinate crops under typical 
conditions. 
Colonies 
per acre 
Crops 
1 to 2—Cherries, melons (canteloup, 
watermelon, etc.); peaches, 
eno tangerines, squash, 
les, clover (alsike, crimson, 
lai ino, white); pears, trefoils, 
eee vetch (purple, 
hairy); cucumber, sunflowers, 
and cotton. 
3 to 4—Alfalfa, almonds, carrots, 
blueberries, cranberries, onions, 
and red clover. 
Colony Distribution in the Field 
Honey bees usually visit flowers 
more thoroughly within 100 yards of 
their hives than they do flowers at 
greater distances when bloom period 
is short or good flying weather is not 
reliable. To get the best coverage, 
and the most efficient pollination, 
the honey bee colonies should be 
placed in groups throughout large 
fields or orchards at about 0.1 mile 
(500 feet) intervals. 
Whenever bees are moved to a 
new location, they go through a 3-to 
5-day orientation period as they get 
acquainted with their new surround- 
ings. During this period, they tend 
to pollinate flowers closer to their 
hive, often limiting their foraging 
area to a 50-to 100-yard circle. As 
time passes, this gradually extends to 
several hundred yards if sufficient 
forage is available. If not they will 
seek nectar and pollen sources as far 
as they have to go to find 
