Strawberries, Blackberries and Blueberries - Any good?

[Beeline]

I've agreed with a landowner to place my hives on the outskirts of a village so it has the best of rural as well as urban forage.

Within a mile from this location is a farm which cultivates approx 450 acres of strawberries, blueberries and blackberries. I know bees forage on blackberries, although mine didn't last year, but do you get any yield from strawberries and blueberries?

Alot of this is in Polytunnels or under netting. Are bees able to access these polytunnels or is everything closed off and pollunated by hand? Never seen one of these tunnels up close.

I'm not relying on this acreage for yield, just a bonus if it helps.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bees will feed on blueberry and strawberry flowers under netting. I don't know about polytunnels,depends if they are open,I guess.
I think bumbles are used commercially.
I wouldn't have had a honey crop last year if it wasn't for the Bramble and Rosebay.

 

[Finman]

.
It depends how good is the environment generally. Strawberry gives to you nothing.

Blueberry had much nectar but I do not know how strong it is? I have had blueberries in green house and bees are happy to come via window there.

But on grounds bumbble bees pollinate blueberries.

You must check too that place does not have allready bees. It is harmfull to you if place is over grazed.

 

[georgia b]

hello,
I know that in America they take the bees to the blueberries. My dad has an acre of blueberries and the honey bees worked it last year.

Georgia

 

[Into the lions den]

No, and probably no given UK acreages. For a little research on this look up blueberry barrens. Some great images of what an extensive spread of blueberries looks like.

www.gigapan.org/gigapans?tags=bees

Great link with lots of interesting zoomable bee pics, including some from blueberries.

 

[Finman]

.
I have near my yards unlimited amount of European billberries. Billberry is main vegetation in our woods. The flower has quite a big dropplet of nectar.

However when bees forage the nectar, they get nothing to be stored. They often starve near bilberry woods.

I think that flowers are near moist ground, flower is cup shame and moisture does not evaporate from nectar.

Billberry

American blueberry

 

[Erichalfbee]

ITLD thanks for the reminder re gigapan
miles of berry bushes and this tucked into a corner.Wonderful!!

 

[oliver90owner]

Georgia b,

Not siding here as I don't know.

I know that in America they take the bees to the blueberries.

But there is a difference between using pollinators and actually getting a crop as part of the return. Think almonds - no pollination, limited crop, so the almond growers simply pay for the pollinators. So can you tell us: were the hives taken for the honey crop, or for the crop pollination?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think this is the crux of the OP's post

I'm not relying on this acreage for yield, just a bonus if it helps.

I have often wondered about crops that are pollinated commercially.
Would bees work a plant if it had nothing to give them?
OK just edited to say they would have to if that was all they had.................

 

[georgia b]

RAB,

the fact is that blueberries are capable of self-pollination, however they use bees to obtain a higher fruit set. you can obtain honey from blueberry.

Georgia

 

[Beeline]

Spraying of pesticides

Do any of you know of the following pesticides:

- DIPEL DF
- PYRETHRUM 5 EC

This same farm that has offered me a few apiary stations on their fruit farm, intends to spray the above chemicals this year onto their 100 acres of blueberries this year as apparently they're having a major problem with a certain caterpillar. Two applications per week for two weeks - applied to the flower . This seems to be the only 'nasty' they spray on their soft fruit crop as the rest are allegedly all Bio.

Does this spell disaster or can they simply be kept inside for 24 hours during spraying?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Dipel is Bacillus Thuringiensis just like Certan for wax moth so the bees will be OK there.
Pyrethrum is rapidly broken down in sunlight so providing the crops are sprayed early in the morning there shouldn't be a problem.
I might be wrong on this but I'm sure about the Dipel.

 

[Hivemaker.]

PYRETHRUM 5 EC


Environmental protection
High risk to bees
Do not apply to crops in flower or to those in which bees are actively foraging. Do not apply when flowering weeds are present

http://www.plantprotection.co.uk/HTML/.../..\Prod\Prod5474.htm

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks for putting me straight, Hivemaker.
Makes you want to grow all your own food the rubbish that's put onto it.....and I love blueberries

 

[Beeline]

Thanks ericA and HM.

Can one simply close up the hives for 48 hours in April (when they are due to spray)? They'll be on OMF so ventilation shouldn't be a problem. Could lack of water be a problem?

 

[buzz lightyear]

Hi
just to say, dont put them in poly tunnels. They will dwindle quickly. They simply fly to the light and drop excausted against the plastic, at least this is my experiance.
On closing them in: make sure there is an issue with the pesticides first, and if so I would consider moving, Otherwise, fit a travelling screen and spray them with water regularly if the temp is warm.
Buzz