Pollination Service

[BeeConservation]

Any Farmers looking for a pollination service in the South East ideally (Kent/Surrey/Sussed border) or central Wales? (discount offered for borage)

 

[David.]

Am I missing something here, I host your bees, you sell honey at £5 a jar, and I pay you for the privilege?
In the nicest possible way, as ever.

 

[BeeConservation]

Prices depend on the crop. Crop pollination will increase your yield by up to 30% 40% 50% (check out the data) https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2013.2440 lots of info on this; type into google - how much can bees improve a crop yield. We personally don't sell our honey (we have a different business model to most) however we also charge half, of what most pollination serves charge...

 

[David.]

Thank you for responding to my slightly facetious reply, no offence intended.
In Manitoba last summer I saw a lot of in field shelters, looking a lot like calf hutches, in I think stands of Alfalfa. I was told they were shelters for leaf cutter bee colonies, placed there for pollination.
Is this more akin to what you do, if maximising honey production is not your priority?

 

[BeeConservation]

Hi, none taken.

We don't use leaf cutter bees. (Honey bees)

We offer environmental testing (Pollen and Biome) we also help companies with ESG and CSR (we work along side charities) we also rent out our beehives to corporates for staff engagement (and a small amount of our business model is pollination)

 

[teslacoils]

Prices depend on the crop. Crop pollination will increase your yield by up to 30% 40% 50% (check out the data) https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2013.2440 lots of info on this; type into google - how much can bees improve a crop yield. We personally don't sell our honey (we have a different business model to most) however we also charge half, of what most pollination serves charge...

That study is not relevant to the majority of UK field scale crops though....

 

[BeeConservation]

Thats way I said google it - (that was an example)

 

[BeeConservation]

You will find lost of reports

 

[teslacoils]

"Crops such as wheat, oats and barley are self pollinated and receive no benefit from insect pollination."

Thats the Australian Honeybee association. See, I did Google it.

 

[BeeConservation]

That's great if you are growing Wheat, oats etc however if you are growing. Rape, top fruit, borage, etc not so good.

I see you did..

 

[teslacoils]

Cheers. Certainly borage, osr and beans.

Rape area sadly only a third of what it used to be, and we well know why that is the case.

http://fairking.co.uk/ - these folk for borage. They may be able to signpost you to growers.

 

[BeeConservation]

Thanks teslacoils

 

[Grass And Grain]

Prices depend on the crop. Crop pollination will increase your yield by up to 30% 40% 50% (check out the data) https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2013.2440 lots of info on this; type into google - how much can bees improve a crop yield. We personally don't sell our honey (we have a different business model to most) however we also charge half, of what most pollination serves charge...

Beekeepers want to bring their hives for free to our beans, as it makes good honey. I haven't noticed any yield difference in seasons when we just relied on natural pollinators/bees.

I think you'll be hard pushed to get farmers to pay for your services on field scale crops. Might be different for specialist glasshouse crops?

 

[Veryfruity]

Bumble bees bought for inside work, as they don’t tell each other where the best nectar is, so stay in the glasshouse.

In the uk I have hired bees in the past for apples, pears. Out here peaches do ok on their own, but in a difficult year for apricots bees really help.

 

[Against_the_grain]

Bumble bees bought for inside work, as they don’t tell each other where the best nectar is, so stay in the glasshouse.

In the uk I have hired bees in the past for apples, pears. Out here peaches do ok on their own, but in a difficult year for apricots bees really help.

Last year we rented 35bee hives for a 35ha winter bean field. There are results which show a 10%+ yield improvement from adding hives. The problem is its very difficult to quantify as there is no control to measure against because we can't realistically stop the bees going wherever they want.
Going to try it again this year.

 

[Xbrandyx]

Last year we rented 35bee hives for a 35ha winter bean field. There are results which show a 10%+ yield improvement from adding hives. The problem is its very difficult to quantify as there is no control to measure against because we can't realistically stop the bees going wherever they want.
Going to try it again this year.

Interested in what's costs you paid for the bee hives?