Topic: Honey Production/Out-yards/Production Yards

Honey Production

Where bee hives are located make the difference between a good crop or none at all.

What are the characteristics of a good honey producing yard?

• The area has a history of good honey production.
• Crops which produce nectar/pollen must be within short flying distance for the bees.
• The yard must be accessible to truck and other vehicles at all times.
• The site must be level or nearly level and have water available nearby.
• It must not be in a low area subject to flooding
• The site must be within close driving distance to other bee yards.
• The site must not be close to human dwellings.

Honey bees are known to forage great distances from the hive  but the fact is they gather nectar generally close to their hives.  For the honey producer, the closer the better because a honey bee can make more trips to the field in a single day and use less energy in flying to the crop.

Commercial honey producers will move bees for various seasonal honey/nectar flows.  Competition for good locations between beekeepers is often regulated by state law and historically good locations have been occupied by the same beekeeper for years.  Check any state regulations regarding the movement and placement of bees before planning this type of operation.

How does one find out yards?   For the commercial beekeeper, it is not so much finding a yard but many bee yards in good locations.  It is a difficult and time consuming project for a beekeeper.  On the other hand, finding  just the right place can be just as challenging.   It is important that you let people know you are looking for bee yards.

• First, a visit to a Growers  Convention.   Various group will have state meeting and these groups are a valuable source for contacting those individuals who grow certain crops.  This might include seed growers groups, fruit and vegetable groups, etc.
•  Join the Farm Bureau -- The cost is not great and contacts will be helpful.
• University extension/county extension  --  These are very valuable contacts 
• Join State Beekeeper Organizations -- These contacts are invaluable.
• Place ads in Trade Magazines or newsletters seeking bee yard locations.  

Do not take any yard just because it is available!      

• Visit each location.  Talk to the owner and make sure both of you understand the details of what each expect of the other.  Often the owner of the land is glad to have bees placed on a crop at no charge.  The owner gets free pollination in exchange for the use of the land where the bees are set.  Disagreements can be disastrous and the land owner has the advantage because you may have to trespass or go to court to recover your bees.  Most farmers will want to locate the bees in an area which is out of the way and usually not in agricultural production.  The land may be low and hard to get to.  Avoid areas like this!  I know of a commercial beekeeper that placed hives at the back of a field-- appeared to be fine area (hard a road to the bees open all the time), but the area was low and during an excessive rain, the hives (40 of them) were bobbing around in a swamp-- all died out as a result.  The farmer indicated that he was not responsible for an act of God.  "The area never had a rain like that ", he said.

What the agreement should include for the beekeeper:

• A defined area where the bees are to be placed.
• Access to the bees at any time.
• Freedom to work the bees without interference from the owner of the land or his employees.
• Freedom to move the bees from the location for just cause.
• Reimbursement for hive losses which are the fault of the farmer for: placing the bees in an area with danger from  flooding, poison kills from insecticide, run over by farm equipment, etc.

What the beekeeper should do for the owner:

• Keep the site clean of debris and respect the land as if it were your own.
• Be prepared to move the bees if problems develop such as listed below.
• Be aware of any potential problems the bees may cause and make the owner aware of them.  Examples include: cattle near hives, finishing lots where molasses is used in food for livestock, hot tubs or swimming pools which the bees will visit, bee poop on clothes hanging on lines for drying outside, etc. 
• Repair any damage done to the property by trucks etc.
• Provide the owner with honey for personal use.  This is often called honey rent and helps continue a good relationship with the owner.  Some beekeeper provide a single jug usually 5 lbs. to a gallon of 12 lbs.  In a very good location the beekeeper might provide a case of 1 lbs. jars of honey to the owner.  This allows the owner to share his honey with children and employees.