# Honey Bees



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Had a guy wanting to put honey bees by my alfalfa field.Anyone else do this?Havn't disscussed details yet.Sounds like a little honey for pay.Failed to ask him about spraying for leaf hoppers.I presume what ever a guy uses for that would kill bees also.Also spray for aphids in beans usually on a adjoining field.


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

Yes he will need to shut them up night before you spray not for weed control but for any living pest control. My brother puts some out for neighbor who wants seed. He will probably ask for longer bloom time. Martin


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Cy, I do it. You need to let them know when you are going to spray. The only drawback is that weeds love to grow around the hives so I request that they move them to different locations every year. I usually get 12 qts. of honey each year. I try to give most of it to old grandmas each year in exchange for cookies and such


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I would be careful Cy....I use Lambda-Cy for leafhoppers and that stuff is bad news for bee's. Says to apply real early morning or very late afternoon to keep initial contact down then its not nearly as lethal....which I do. I would be afraid of maybe having to replace the colonies if the fella lost them and said it was your fault. Don't blame you for thinking about some honey....best thing to do is have him move them to another location 1/2 mile or so away...then you spray....he could maybe move them around your various alfalfa fields on a rotational basis as you sprayed the fields. Honey is goooood.

Regards, Mike


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Do you have a place somewhat of a distance from the alfalfa field so the bees would be safer from the spray and spray drift? It's my understanding bees can fly quite a ways to get to the flowers. But like said above the bee dude would probably want you to let it blossom more then is ideal for alfalfa harvest.


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

As long as you notify him to give a chance to take precautions you are covered. Also along a tree row south side is optimal. And they don't have to bee directly on the field close is good . Myself the problem is what is optimal for one (haying) is not for the other but bees can always work the wildflowers while waiting for next bloom. Ps once the spray dries it's fairly safe for the bees


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## mulberrygrovefamilyfarm (Feb 11, 2009)

We have several hives on our place and they really work the alfalfa and clover. They love flowering weeds too, so everything that flowers gets a boost in pollination. You do have to let the bee guy know when and what you're going to spray so that he can close them up until the risk is gone. Here in IA I also enter our farm as an apiary on the state registry which the commercial and aerial sprayers are required check and then manage their spraying to avoid killing the bees or damaging sensitive crops. I doubt my neighbors check the registry but they know they're there and I know they try to avoid spraying out honey bees or the native bees.


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

swmnhay & friends.

Something to consider.

Yes you will probably need to adjust your time for spraying but that should not ba a problem.

If you manage alfalfa for "dairy" quality then you are cutting before bloom on at least one cutting. Dairy hay is cut in bud stage if you are interested in Supreme Quality hay.

The Bee Keeper may wish for you to not harvest before half bloom.

With multiple fields in alfalfa and multiple harvest times, there is usually at least one field that goes to half bloom on some field for each cutting.

Something to consider is the honey bee really does not like to work alfalfa. When she trips the pistol gather the nectar or pollen the bee receives an unpleasant punch in the snoot. With only one field you should have three weeks between blooming and by then the hive has a fresh set of workers out in the fields. 
(_Some of this last paragraph is mostly from texts or from hear say. I only kept bees to work wild flowers_. )

What would concern you if you are growing Round Up Resistant Varities, Monsanto may not want the crop to go to half bloom, noT allow the blooms to be pollinated.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

He would probably put them by the field that i cut last.Alf/orchard mix.The hay would probably go to feedlots.So the hay would probably be blooming pretty good before it gets cut.He LOVED that,said they would make lots of honey.There is also CRP on 2 sides of it with wildflowers.

No RU alfalfa here.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

If you are honest with him and up front and he is with you good luck and enjoy your honey. Bees are nothing but good for crops.

Just don't accept a check in payment!


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

deadmoose said:


> If you are honest with him and up front and he is with you good luck and enjoy your honey. Bees are nothing but good for crops.
> 
> Just don't accept a check in payment!


So beekeepers are like horsey people?


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

I did not say that. I just think that is a good rule to live by!


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

deadmoose said:


> If you are honest with him and up front and he is with you good luck and enjoy your honey. Bees are nothing but good for crops.
> 
> Just don't accept a check in payment!


So does the beekeeper pay you? We grow grass so have never used bees, lots of friends do on their row crops, just never have myself. But I do love honey! Tupelo is my favorite, spread onto a big ole cat head biscuit, mmmmm


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## gradyjohn (Jul 17, 2012)

Honey bees are big business down here. They raise hives and transport on special trailers for down in the valley. They rent them to the land owner to help Prorogation of their crop. If you can get some honey that would be good and follow the other recommendations. Made in the USA is better than China honey ... Plus honey is expensive down here!


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