Grain Fields

[mikecva]

My hives have always been around wild flowers, orchards and corn fields (although the bees go where they want to.) I have been asked to put a few hives in a neighboring (5 miles away) field that is usually under wheat or hay. Do bees help these fields and is it beneficial for both the farmer and the bees? This will be a new venture for me, so if beneficial I will do it. What would the honey be like?  -Mike

[Finski]

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I do not understand. Bees  get nothing from hay fields.

Whey must fly over fields and they consume their energy and time to that.

If I think what is the worst place for bees is cultivated hay or corn fields which have nothing to bees.

Waste of hives and one years work...

[hardwood]

If the hay is alfalfa they will use it. If it's a grass hay they won't...forget the corn.

Scott

[Joe D]

They get pollen from crimson clover, nectar from vetch,those are probably gone this time of year.  Saw a post the other day from Alabama where there were some bees on bahia grass, would never of figured that.  All depends on whats in the field on whether it is going to help either of you.  Also may want to know what else is around where his fields are.  May be a great place, check it out, if you would like.
Good luck anyway.



Joe

[BjornBee]

Alfalfa fields do not get worked and are a waste for bees as most farmers are on a schedule that cuts the crop before it actually blooms.

I'm still wondering why a farmer would request the placement of bees in hay fields. 

As a general rule, unless you are getting paid for it, there are way better places to keep bees other than cultivated crops which exposes bees to chemicals and limits their quality pollen and diversity.

[indypartridge]

If the hay is alfalfa they will use it.

Most farmers cut alfalfa before it blooms. Once it blooms, the feed value of the alfalfa drops rapidly.

[mikecva]

Thanks all. I think I will pass.  -Mike

[sawdstmakr]

They get pollen from crimson clover, nectar from vetch,those are probably gone this time of year.  Saw a post the other day from Alabama where there were some bees on Bahia grass, would never of figured that.  All depends on whats in the field on whether it is going to help either of you.  Also may want to know what else is around where his fields are.  May be a great place, check it out, if you would like.
Good luck anyway.



Joe

Joe,
I found out that I have feral bees at my farm when I didn't have any bees there and there was none from the commercial keeps any where around.
I kept hearing the buzzing and found them on the Bahia seed stems collecting the pollen that hangs beyond the seeds. I saw them a couple of weeks ago in the early morning and thought it was strange considering we still had a palmetto flow going. May have been the flow had just stopped.
I have seen them on the seed stems on numerous occasions, usually when I do not have bees at the farm. I have thought about beelining them but there are not enough and there are forests all around making it very difficult to track them.
Jim