What is Migratory Beekeeping?
Migratory beekeeping is common among the many commercial beekeepers in the United States. But, most backyard beekeepers have never seen this mass movement of bee colonies from field to field. This practice plays a major role in modern agriculture providing pollination for many food crops. Understanding how migratory beekeeping works helps explain where our food comes from and the role honey bees have to play.
Most of the beekeepers in the US have a small bee farm with hives that are stationary. For those that take the bees on the road – the money can be good but the work is hard.
Why Beekeepers Move Their Colonies
Sure you can move a beehive to a new location with a bit of planning. But, what if you want to move 1,000 hives across the country? This is not done on a whim.
There are several reasons commercial beekeepers are willing to go to the expense, hard work and risk involved in moving bees.
Provide Crop Pollination
The primary reason for migratory beekeeping is to provide crop pollination. Large fields with thousands of plants in bloom at the same time – can not depend on local bees to do the job.
It is common for farmers to rent bee colonies during the bloom period. Most farmers are not beekeepers. But, they know bee pollination of their crops helps ensure large yields.Â
Once the bloom period has passed, the hives go on to the next crop in bloom. This might be across the state or thousands of miles away.
Following Seasonal Nectar Flows
While these busy bees are doing their pollination work, they are also collecting nectar. Some beekeepers follow seasonal nectar flows across the country.
A stationary apiary may have limited foraging – not enough to support 100’s of colonies. By moving the colonies to different areas, beekeepers help the bees make more honey. It also saves having to provide supplemental feeding.
It Makes Economic Sense
If you have hundreds or thousands of beehives, you are a business. Migratory beekeeping practices help pay the bills for many commercial beekeepers.
Honey production alone may not be enough – especially in years when weather conditions are poor.
Moving colonies allows beekeepers to diversify their income and better manage large numbers of hives.
Common Crops That Depend on Migratory Beekeeping
Almonds rely almost entirely on pollination by honey bees. With over 800,000 acres of almond trees (per the USDA), they need a lot of flying bees.
And because the trees bloom at the same time, California becomes a beetopia for a short while in February each year.
But, almonds are not the only plants that benefit from honey bee pollination. Beekeepers also rent-out hives for the following crops.
- Alfalfa
- Apples
- Avocados
- Blueberries
- Cantaloupe
- Cherries
- Clovers
- Cranberries
- Cucumbers
- Plums
- Pumpkins
- Sunflowers
- Watermelons
- And more…
How Migratory Beekeeping Works
Moving honey bee colonies across the country involves careful planning. Honey bees are sensitive to stress and environmental changes. Timing and preparation for the move is critical and involves several steps.
- preparing colonies for transport
- transporting the hives
- setting up in a new location
Inspect & Prepare
A contract between the farmer and the beekeeper is prepared. It states the price to be paid, the time frame when colonies should be in place and any other important details.
It is the responsibility of the beekeeper to prepare the colonies for transport. Colony health is checked – healthy bees can deal better with stress and adjust quickly to new surroundings.
Loose equipment is fastened, and entrances are closed or screen at night – when most of the foraging bees are inside the hive.
Transporting the Hives
Most large scale migratory beekeepers keep their hives on wooden pallets. The industry standard – Langstroth type of beehive fits 4 together on each pallet. Airflow is essential during transport to prevent overheating.
A forklift or similar equipment is used to load these “four-ways” on flatbed trucks. Once the pallets are on the truck – a large net is thrown over the hives and off they go.
Setting Up the Apiary
Once colonies arrive at the new location, hives are unloaded in designation spots near the target crops. Hive entrances are opened so the bees can reorient to their new environment.
In only a short time, foragers will begin working nearby blossoms. Just what the farmer hopes will happen.
The beekeeper will continue to monitor colony health, food stores and queen performance during the pollination period. Then, it’s time to move again.
Challenges of Mobile Beekeeping
It is easy to see the benefits of migratory beekeeping, but it is not without its challenges. Moving honey bee colonies requires careful management to maintain hive health. There is also a lot of risk involved – for the bees and the beekeeper.
- stress from transportation – being confined during travel for days is not a normal bee lifestyle
- risk of disease and pests – colonies from different regions placed together may share diseases etc.
- nutritional challenges – large single crop fields may not provide adequate nutritional for bees
- risk of loss – a wreck on the highway – a farmer spraying something – colony deaths happen
These challenges raise an important question – how does migratory beekeeping affect honey bee health over time?
Is Migratory Beekeeping Bad for Bees?
Migratory beekeeping does add stress to honey bee colonies. The transportation and relocation issues, in addition to, increase exposure to pests and disease are undeniable.
However, if colonies are healthy and strong – careful management can prevent some problems. Experienced beekeepers known how to monitor nutrition, temperature and colony health to reduce some of the risks involved.
Like many aspects of beekeeping, outcomes depend largely on management practices – these we can control.
FAQs
Honey bee colonies involved in migratory beekeeping may be moved anywhere from a few miles to several thousand miles, depending on the crop and season. Some commercial colonies travel across multiple states each year to meet pollination demands.
Most backyard beekeepers do not practice migratory beekeeping. Moving colonies requires specialized equipment, permits, and experience, making it far more common in commercial beekeeping operations.
The length of time colonies remain in one location varies by crop but typically ranges from a few weeks to over a month. Once bloom ends, colonies are either moved to the next pollination site or relocated to areas with available forage.
Finally
Migratory beekeeping plays an important role in modern agriculture and helps provide many of the diverse foods that we eat. But, moving bees is not without its challenges and risks. Today, farmers and beekeepers strive to find ways to make the process easier and better for the bees.