12/20/2023 0 Comments Honey bee acres![]() ![]() Lesins (1950) calculated that about 200 million flowers per acre were capable of setting pods. Tysdal (1946) estimated that 2 billion flowers per acre of alfalfa were produced in Nebraska. But whether the higher visitation rate is due to condition of the alfalfa plants, lack of pollen producing competing plants, or both conditions has never been resolved. Numerous observers have reported that honey bees collect alfalfa pollen more freely in the Southwestern and Western States than in the Northeastern States. Alfalfa pollen is relished by many other species of bees including the genera of Bombus, Halictus, Megachile, Melissodes, and Nomia. When honey bees have only alfalfa upon which to forage, the colony strength diminishes rapidly. Usually they will collect it only when no other source is available. When the colonies are in the area at the rate of three per acre they may store little or no surplus honey.Īlfalfa is a poor source of pollen for honey bees. As a general rule, one strong colony per acre of seed alfalfa should store 50 to 100 pounds honey. If the crop is left to produce seed, the amount of nectar available to a colony depends upon the plant density, the competition from other bees, and other environmental and agronomic factors. When alfalfa is cut for hay just as flowering starts, as is normally practiced, the beekeeper gets little or no alfalfa honey. McGregor and Todd (1952*) estimated that 54 to 238 pounds of nectar per acre were produced during a peak flowering day. Kropacova (1963) estimated that alfalfa produces 416 to 1,933 pounds of nectar per acre. ![]() If an attractant factor can be isolated, its use in the breeding and selection for cultivars with greater attractiveness to pollinators could become quite important.Īlfalfa produces a large amount of nectar, which is highly attractive to many species of bees, and from which honey bees produce excellent crops of high quality honey. Its true significance in bee attractiveness has not been determined. (1971) identified one of the aromatic compounds as ocimene. The significance of these compounds in honey bee behavior is under investigation. Several terpenoid compounds have been identified in alfalfa varieties (Loper et al. Loper and Waller (1970) showed that when several clonal lines of alfalfa were presented in bouquets to honey bees, the bees consistently showed preference for certain ones. Vansell (1941 ) showed that some alfalfa cultivars yield more honey than others. Honey Yield, Nectar Secretion, And Pollen Production: ![]()
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