Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Beginner wanting to start hives in vegetable farming area  (Read 3452 times)

Offline pingu

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 4
Beginner wanting to start hives in vegetable farming area
« on: April 01, 2017, 01:06:17 am »
Hi, I've been doing a lot of research lately because I'm really keen on getting into this (I'm a complete beginner). I have about 3000 acres of land where I'd like to put a hive, but the area mostly consists of vegetable crop such as Broccoli, Celery, Lettuce, Cauliflower, Cabbage and Carrots (there is bushland next door as well which is just native flowers/plants) Although I'd put the hives as far away as I can from the working area I'm worried about the pesticides that the bees might be exposed to. I've already enquired about each pesticide used but waiting for a detailed reply from that. Just wondering if anyone has any experience with hives around this sort of farming area and if it's even feasible at all to have them near a mass production vegetable farming area. Thanks.

Offline azzkell

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 62
  • Gender: Male
Re: Beginner wanting to start hives in vegetable farming area
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2017, 04:59:06 am »
Are you wanting honey or going for a pollination service?
Personally I'd be looking at honey from the natives, unsure about what honey or quality of pollen is available from veggie crops as never tried or looked into it. I do know that native trees are good for producing wonderful honeys and the pollen contains good source of nutrients for the bees which is vital for their growth.
Others on here will have a better idea about the veggies.

Offline pingu

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 4
Re: Beginner wanting to start hives in vegetable farming area
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2017, 07:25:35 am »
The honey and pollination service would just be a bonus to be honest, I'm more doing it for interest :)
I guess they'll have the option of both Native and the extreme mass of vegetables being grown there I'm just trying to learn any logistics when it comes to being near major crops that use pesticides, although looking at most so far, they say non-toxic to bees.
I'll definitely be trying to notice any difference in crop quality if the bees are beneficial for certain vegetables!

Online BeeMaster2

  • Administrator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 13494
  • Gender: Male
Re: Beginner wanting to start hives in vegetable farming area
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2017, 07:59:25 am »
Pingu,
I strongly suspect that is you only have one or two hives, strongly suggest you start with 2, it will work out real well. My biggest concern is when they spray the crops and with what.  A lot of poisons are very toxic when wet but not once dry. If they don't spray when the plants have flowers that would bee best. It could bee a great improvement for the crop production. Make sure you have a good water source so that the bees are not collecting the freshly sprayed poison.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline Andersonhoney

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 129
  • Gender: Male
Re: Beginner wanting to start hives in vegetable farming area
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2017, 05:58:42 am »
Too funny.
You had me then I realized the date of this post. Well done. Penguin.

Offline pingu

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 4
Re: Beginner wanting to start hives in vegetable farming area
« Reply #5 on: April 02, 2017, 08:15:26 am »
Thanks sawdstmakr. I'll just have to try with 1 or 2 hives and see how they go while trying to becareful with the spraying.

Andersonhoney: I'm not quite sure what you mean, in no way was this an april fools thing or something :P but noot to you my friend!

Offline Acebird

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 8110
  • Gender: Male
  • Just do it
Re: Beginner wanting to start hives in vegetable farming area
« Reply #6 on: April 02, 2017, 09:36:19 am »
It sounds like you are not doing the growing.  Assuming so, try to build a relationship with the one that is.  Cooperation would be good for both involved.  If you can educate the grower on how he can use the pesticide and have minimal impact on your bees, your bees will remain healthy.  As what Jim said water is what you have to provide but mostly your bees are not going to be visiting his garden much because he is going to harvest these vegetables before they flower.  What will impact your bees is if the overspray goes to the wild fields.  Education and cooperation is key.
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Online BeeMaster2

  • Administrator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 13494
  • Gender: Male
Re: Beginner wanting to start hives in vegetable farming area
« Reply #7 on: April 02, 2017, 12:10:56 pm »
Ace,
Keep in mind it is the bees coming for the nectar and honey that allows the development of the fruit. My wife's first Garden had lots of flowers but no fruit. The next year I got bees and then she had lots of fruit.
Pinch,
Your grower needs the bees. A good reason for him to work with you.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline 220

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 297
  • Gender: Male
Re: Beginner wanting to start hives in vegetable farming area
« Reply #8 on: April 02, 2017, 07:32:24 pm »
Too funny.
You had me then I realized the date of this post. Well done. Penguin.

I was thinking the same given all the vegie crops listed are harvested well before they flower.
If your serious forget about the bees getting anything from the vegetables listed and there will be no need for pollination, better off looking at what natives are present and their suitability.

Offline Brub58

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 27
  • Gender: Male
Re: Beginner wanting to start hives in vegetable farming area
« Reply #9 on: April 02, 2017, 07:36:16 pm »
Pinch,
Your grower needs the bees. A good reason for him to work with you.
Jim
Sawdstmkr, can you please tell me why someone growing carrots, broccoli, cabbage and celery would need bees?  I can't see how they would help with any of those.

Offline Acebird

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 8110
  • Gender: Male
  • Just do it
Re: Beginner wanting to start hives in vegetable farming area
« Reply #10 on: April 02, 2017, 08:03:18 pm »
Quote
Sawdstmkr, can you please tell me why someone growing carrots, broccoli, cabbage and celery would need bees?  I can't see how they would help with any of those.
Jim, this is what I was focusing on.  None of these vegetables are fruit and they are harvested before flowers appear.  We let our broccoli go to seed and you bet the bees like it in the fall but a commercial vegetable grower is not going to worry about feeding bees in the fall.  The OP needs to blow a little smoke up the growers butt so he can get a heads up when and if he sprays.  It is not the vegetable garden that is the problem it is the wild surroundings that could hurt the bees.
« Last Edit: April 03, 2017, 09:51:57 am by Acebird »
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Offline pingu

  • New Bee
  • *
  • Posts: 4
Re: Beginner wanting to start hives in vegetable farming area
« Reply #11 on: April 03, 2017, 05:46:19 am »
I am the grower, you're right we will harvest well before anything gets a chance to flower, if something does flower then we cannot sell it. If we do let something flower, such as Broccoli it'll stay there until it's chopped in it's never sprayed even well before flower as there are certain withholding periods of chemicals before you are allowed to harvest. The pesticides are still a concern for me as I'm new to this and I'm not sure if the bees for some reason will still for some reason hang around the crop or even some sort of slight drift from the spraying may effect them although the area I plan to have them should be protected from any sort of drift.

I'm not trying to provide any pollination service or such, just trying to start this hobby and this is just the only place I can do it, sorry for the confusion :)
I have been doing an extreme amount of research and I will look to see what type of native plants are around, the way I'll have the hives is right on the border of the farm area so they'll be closest to the native untouched land next door than to the actual crops. And as someone said I'll definitely make sure to have a clean isolated water supply for them.

Thanks!

Offline Acebird

  • Galactic Bee
  • ******
  • Posts: 8110
  • Gender: Male
  • Just do it
Re: Beginner wanting to start hives in vegetable farming area
« Reply #12 on: April 03, 2017, 09:50:58 am »
If you are the grower then it is easy.  Don't spray on windy days and try to do it in the evening.  But really if you don't get over spray then no worries the bees have no interest in vegetables without flowers.
Brian Cardinal
Just do it

Online BeeMaster2

  • Administrator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 13494
  • Gender: Male
Re: Beginner wanting to start hives in vegetable farming area
« Reply #13 on: April 03, 2017, 12:57:19 pm »
Sorry, I missed the list of plants growing.No argument there. Here those are most of the crops my wife plants during the winter. Most of her summer crops depend on fertilization, gourds, melons, tomatoes and cucumbers.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

 

anything