them, up to 2-3 miles. Obviously 
such distances are not conducive to 
efficient foraging or pollination; so 
colonies are usually placed as close 
as possible to the crop to be 
pollinated. 
Where access to a field or an 
orchard is not feasible, or in a field 
of less than 40 acres, the groups 
should be placed along the outside 
borders of the field. If the field or 
orchard is more that 500 feet across, 
the groups at the center of the 
borders should have more colonies, 
thus increasing the pressure on 
foragers to extend deeper within the 
field than they might otherwise go. 
There is evidence that better 
pollination is obtained when the 
bees departing from their hive can 
head upwind towards the crop; so 
placing the colonies downwind from 
the crop is helpful. 
The following list gives the 
number of colonies to be placed in 
each group for a given number of 
colonies per acre. For example, 
groups at 500 feet intervals should 
contain seven colonies for one 
colony per acre. 
Colonies per acre Colonies per group 
1 7 
2 13 
3 20 
Ae 26 
Scheduling Delivery of Colonies 
The delivery of honey bee 
colonies should be timed to coincide 
with the blooming period of the 
crop to be pollinated. This may vary 
according to elevation, latitude, 
season, temperature, moisture, and 
species or variety. As a general rule, 
it is best if the colonies are not 
brought to the field or orchard until 
some bloom is present. This will 
reduce the likelihood that the bees 
will start to work on other flowers 
and not find the target crop when it 
starts to flower. In large acreages of 
crops that gradually reach full bloom, 
like alfalfa, the bees can be brought 
into the fields with two moves over 
a 10-day period. 
Removal of colonies can be 
scheduled as the crop sets, and the 
number of flowers remaining to be 
pollinated will be reduced. Colonies 
can, of course, remain after the need 
for pollination has passed as long as 
they present no problem to the 
farmer and are not vulnerable to 
pesticide hazard. The timing of 
colony removal should be as much a 
subject for negotiation as colony 
delivery. 
Pollenizers 
Many varieties of fruit trees and 
some other plants produce no fruit 
when pollinated with their own 
pollen. They must be cross- 
pollinated. Trees that must be 
cross-pollinated require pollen from 
other closely related fruit varieties. 
Some can be pollinated only by 
pollen from particular varieties. 
Plants that must be cross- 
pollinated include all varieties of 
almond, chestnut, and sweet 
cherries; certain citrus fruits, 
most varieties of apple, pear, 
plum, prune, and blueberries; 
and a few varieties of peaches 
and apricots. 
The varieties that produce suitable 
pollen for cross-pollination are called 
pollenizers. These must be planted 
where bees will visit their flowers, as 
well as the flowers of the varieties 
RL \ Pra 
