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Author Topic: How to pollinate fruit trees in an enclosed shadehouse  (Read 16026 times)

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: How to pollinate fruit trees in an enclosed shadehouse
« Reply #20 on: September 10, 2012, 01:50:26 am »
What rate are you getting per hive per week?

No offence intended 100 TD but that relates to my original question how? What do you charge your customers for pollination contract? rates that any beekeeper contracts out their hives for is something that's typically negotiated between the farmer and the beekeeper dependent on crop requirements, management difficulty, cost as a result of lost production etc.

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: How to pollinate fruit trees in an enclosed shadehouse
« Reply #21 on: September 10, 2012, 02:06:59 am »
You should probably be able to tell just by looking at it Oz. If it looks like a giant queen excluder or coarser, then the bees can get through, if it is finer than that, approaching a shadecloth type of mesh then it will keep them out. I use a shadecloth surround around some of my hive to force the girls up into the air so they don't bother the kids in the backyard.

I understand your feeling about some of the girls not getting home but I think your losses will be higher if you keep changing over the hives.

G'day Mate,

I haven't actually had a look at it through the day yet but i suspect it may be too small for them to get through - I'll wait until i have the full specs from the grower to draw that conclusion though. Interestingly the other day the grower was watching the bees on the netting for me and he was finding that they would fly to the net - bounce off it 20 or so times and then fly back to the hive... so maybe they're learning! they're also actively taking pollen back to the hive from the trees and, in the growers words, were 'swarming' the flowers the other day so it's sounding 'so far so good'. I'll have to keep a close eye on them though and potentially give them some pollen supplement

Offline malachii

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Re: How to pollinate fruit trees in an enclosed shadehouse
« Reply #22 on: September 10, 2012, 08:39:02 am »
Does it definitely let bees through it malachii? I'll have the specs of this actual cloth tomorrow to know for sure

Bees definiety go through it.  It's small enough to keep birds and hail out but is probably a bit larger than a queen excluder mesh.

malachii

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: How to pollinate fruit trees in an enclosed shadehouse
« Reply #23 on: September 10, 2012, 10:55:00 pm »
Apparently there's quite a few bees getting out but not able to get back in - so it mustn't be easy for them to get through it.

I've had the client ask if we can modify the setup slightly so that he can close the entrance off if he wants to show people through the orchard. What I've thought of is drilling a hole in the side of the super and connecting some 50mm ag pipe (it's corrugated flexible pipe similar to vaccuum cleaner hoses) and running that from the hive to the outside of the shade cloth and then, where it exits the shade cloth, having it exit through a piece of timber that's been painted in a bright colour so that they can orient to it. What are peoples thoughts about that idea? That would mean that the bees can get adequate pollen/nectar/water from outside of the shade cloth whilst ensuring adequate pollination to the trees that are flowering directly in front of the hives. In regard setting that up it would make sense to put some grass or a branch in front of the new exit so that they re-orient to it correct? Does that sound like it could work or would the bees exiting the hive from the normal entrance inside the enclosure try and fly back to the entrance outside of the shadecloth?

Offline bernsad

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Re: How to pollinate fruit trees in an enclosed shadehouse
« Reply #24 on: September 11, 2012, 06:07:19 am »
Do they really need to get right down near your hives? I mean, they've got 3000sq.m to inspect, does he have to interfere with the hives just to show visitors around? I hope you're getting a good rate for the contract mate, it's starting to sound more trouble than it's worth if you ask me.

Offline Jim134

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"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
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"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
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Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline Jim134

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Re: How to pollinate fruit trees in an enclosed shadehouse
« Reply #26 on: September 11, 2012, 06:18:21 am »
And I'v seen up to 20-30 acres cove at a time.




     BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline Lone

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Re: How to pollinate fruit trees in an enclosed shadehouse
« Reply #27 on: September 11, 2012, 09:36:53 am »
Ozzie,
I don't see how less than an acre could be enough to support one or more hives considering bees normally forage several kilometers.  You said the supplies are good.  It will be interesting to know if supplies decrease after having them in the orchard or if the hive/s maintain their strength.  Have caution with pollen supplement if you use it as I've read it can attract shb.  Thanks for the photos.  Let us know the progress.

Lone

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: How to pollinate fruit trees in an enclosed shadehouse
« Reply #28 on: September 11, 2012, 08:35:26 pm »
Ozzie,
I don't see how less than an acre could be enough to support one or more hives considering bees normally forage several kilometers.  You said the supplies are good.  It will be interesting to know if supplies decrease after having them in the orchard or if the hive/s maintain their strength.  Have caution with pollen supplement if you use it as I've read it can attract shb.  Thanks for the photos.  Let us know the progress.

Lone

You're right Lone, it won't be enough solely to keep them going... With the recent 'amendments' that have been requested in going to be putting an entrance outside of the shade cloth as well... It will be via about 10m of grey water corrugated pipe connected in to a hole in the back of the hive and a 'landing board' outside of the shade cloth. I'm hoping the bees will use both entrances - the one on the base board to pollinate the trees and the other outside of the shade cloth to get more supplies. I'm hoping that the bees that exit from the base board don't try and return to the entrance that's outside the shade cloth! But! If they do I've made a landing board that will sit on the inside of the shade cloth directly behind the landing board that's outside of the shade cloth that's connected to the outside landing board by the same pipe - so hopefully they would hit the inside landing board, walk through the pipe, then connect with the outside landing board and then walk down to the other hole and then walk the length of the pipe back to the hive...

Offline Lone

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Re: How to pollinate fruit trees in an enclosed shadehouse
« Reply #29 on: September 11, 2012, 08:53:19 pm »
Photo time again please Oz hahaha

Offline OzBuzz

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Re: How to pollinate fruit trees in an enclosed shadehouse
« Reply #30 on: September 11, 2012, 08:57:46 pm »
Absolutely mate - I'll be installing it this afternoon... I just hope my theory works!

Offline bernsad

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Re: How to pollinate fruit trees in an enclosed shadehouse
« Reply #31 on: October 10, 2012, 05:50:47 am »
How did this go in the end? Everyone satisfied?

 

anything