Any beekeepers in the house?

[bluecollar2]

I'm going to put some hives in my tropical fruit grove this year. I have joined a local beekeepers association and have arranged with a local comercial beekeeper to put in some hives in a couple of months .

We've decided on a suitable location and he's agreed to let me "train on the job" when he comes to inspect/monitor the hives.

Basically, he's getting out of the business and looking for good homes for his bees.

I think it will be beneficial to have the pollinators on site.

I still have to figure out what to plant to help keep them fed when the trees aren't flowering.

[Botany]

1. Get this book / Join the Xerces Society too

https://www.target.com/p/attracting-native-pollinators-the-xerces-society-guide-protecting-north-america-s-bees-and-butterflies/-/A-12987311

If you protect and enhance the habitat for our native pollinators the honey bees will do
better too.

Plant native plants that will bloom @ different times
Limit the use of insecticides

Have some bare earth that is in @ least 70% sun

Leave some dead trees around the property

plant some flowers between the fruit trees

any other ?s pmail me.

[bluecollar2]

2. Thanks for the input

Will definitely look into the book and the society.

I'm fortunate in that our use of herbicides is limited to application on the driveway and along the perimeter fencing.

I've taken the pesticide applicator course so I'm very aware of the ramifications.

In order to further reduce my use of herbicide I'm working with the master-gardner's at the local extension to identify the best native plants and grasses to grow along the fence-line and other areas not dedicated to the grove.

[Botany]

3. I have been @ this for years .....

.... sometimes you might need to use a chemical herbicide in order to
control non native invasive plants ..... do not let the perfect be the enemy
of the good.

Xerces Society has some wonderful programs that you might find of some
good as per fruit production and ecological management of your lands.
Lots of good can come from planting biodiverse legumes, forbes, and grasses
between the fruit trees.


two other books that you might like:

1) The Hidden Life of Trees

b) Bringing Nature Home ..... Doug Tallamy

If you have any other ?s send me a pmail.

[bluecollar2]

5. Will do...

Beekeepers meeting next Tuesday. Should know more by then

[Farmer-Rick]

4. Good for you

I've thought of putting up honey bee hives, honey brings in good money at the farmer's market...but it is also a lot of work.

I have noticed a serious decline in honey bees around here but other bees have increased. Bumble bees in particular are increasing on my farm, especially since I've stopped using all petroleum based herbicides and insecticides.

I welcome all pollinators and really have no problems with my vegetables and flowers getting pollinated. Sometimes there are so many pollinators on some of early flowering bushes that they hum when you walk by.

Have you tried any of the organic herbicides? I'm Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) very similar to organic and can't use things like Round Up or Sevin. I'm considering corn starch this year as a pre emergent herbicide for my onions. God they are hell to weed by hand . Even with a paper weed guard, the weeds manage to squeeze in.

[bluecollar2]

6. Fortunately my grove is fairly mature

Most of my trees are a solid 20-25 years old and, thankfully pretty healthy.

Applications to the soil in our grove are mostly iron, zinc, magnesium and copper due to alkalinity.

Row crops are more susceptible to weed issues. I pretty much just mow and keep the mulch level intact between the trees.

The only area requiring a herbicide is along the fence-line and the gravel driveway and then it's very sparing and it's more a visual issue than a practical one

I'll look into your suggestions regarding organic herbicide.

[jcgoldie]

7. Welcome to the club

Beekeeping is addicting. And HARD. I've been keeping bees for only about 10 years. It was very bumpy at 1st but I've had much better success lately. I've raised a lot of plants and animals and bees are the hardest things to keep healthy in my experience. The two biggest lessons I've learned about keeping bees here in southern Illinois:

1.) You have to feed them in the late winter/early spring. Climate change contributes to this I believe because most years there are more and more warm days in January and February and the colonies build up before things are blooming and they can blow through their honey stores and starve in March right on the precipice of spring.

2.) You have to do something to control the Varroa mites in the fall. The mites are there all summer but when the bees are thriving and collecting pollen and nectar they can fight them off. But if you don't treat here in September or October, the mites will destroy hives when the bees cut numbers and go into winter mode. They get in the brood and destroy the colony before it can reproduce. Some folks always want to be 100% natural and so they might not agree but I believe science can help us and I've found the most effective method of mite control is oxcalic acid. You get a tool that heats off your tractor battery and vaporize the hive in the fall. Bees don't like it but they survive.

As for what to plant, its probably not so important... not sure how big your place is but bees will fly in a 3 mile radius so they will find things all over...

Good luck if you are persistent you will love it!