Apr 10, 2020

Protecting pollinators in fruit orchards: practices for stronger crops

Back in the day, most farms kept a few bee hives to ensure crops received proper pollination. Adequate pollination in fruit orchards derives both yield and quality, while poor pollination often results in smaller, misshapen fruits, nuts, seeds, berries, and vegetables that fail to meet market demands. For growers, protecting pollinators in fruit orchards remains essential to sustaining strong harvests.

Today’s larger farms and the steep decline of natural pollinators have growers contracting with beekeepers to truck in honeybees for pollination. This practice not only sustains agriculture but also provides migratory beekeepers their largest income stream, contributing $15 – $20 billion in economic value to U.S. agriculture each year.

The challenge for organic growers

Organic growers often prefer to hire certified organic beekeepers. However, outside of Hawaii, those beekeepers are scarce. Bees forage an average of three miles in all directions, and there simply isn’t enough organic acreage to buffer hives from nearby conventional crops.

Because of this, the National Organic Program (NOP) has not finalized organic beekeeping standards, even though the National Organic Standards Board released recommendations back in 2010.

The lack of organic standards creates uncertainty. Honeybees from different colonies can drift between hives, leading to co-mingling of bees managed with both organic and synthetic inputs. Growers still ask: Should organic farms be required to use certified organic bees for pollination?

Organic regulations already set precedents. Non-organic ingredients cannot be used in certified organic products when organic options exist, and synthetic inputs are only allowed if approved naturally. 

Yet, when organic blossoms are pollinated by bees exposed to prohibited chemicals, the USDA remains silent.

Choosing the right beekeeper

Even without certified organic standards, growers can make informed choices. Over the past decade, many beekeepers have adopted management practices that avoid synthetic chemicals. Instead of using products like Apivar, Checkmite+, or Apistan to control varroa mites, they rely on formic acid, oxalic acid, essential oils, or Hopguard, an herbal product derived from hops.

Growers should ask pollination service providers how they control mites and diseases, then decide whether those practices align with their own philosophy.

Contracts, handshakes and hive rentals

Securing pollination services requires early planning. Beekeepers must prepare hives well in advance. While some smaller operations still work on a handshake, larger migratory outfits usually use formal contracts, especially when brokers are involved.

Hive rental fees typically range form $45 to $200 per hive, depending crop type, hive numbers, travel distance, fuel costs, and honeybee availability.

Measuring hive strength

Strong hives are essential for effective pollination, and contracts often spell out expectations. Hive strength is usually measured by the number of brood combs covered with bees, with six to eight frames (around 15,000 bees) considered satisfactory.

Growers sometimes hire inspectors to confirm strength. A simpler approach is to observe bee activity:

• In spring, a strong hive should show at least one bee per second entering during a sunny, calm afternoon.
• In summer, that activity should increase to about 100 bees per minute.

If hives fall short, growers should ask beekeepers to open random hives during good weather to confirm colony strength. However, growers should never inspect hives without a beekeeper’s consent.

How many hives do you need?

The number of hives per acre varies by crop, bloom density, weather, and hive status. One hive per acre typically suffices, but high-value crops or challenging climates may justify more.

Weather plays a major role. Bees stay in the hive when temperatures drop 50°F, winds exceed 20 – 25 miles per hour, or rain falls. To compensate, many growers rent two hives per acre, ensuring enough pollination during the limited windows of good weather. 

Blueberries are a notable exception. Research shows blueberry yields continue to increase until hive density approaches nine per acre under favorable conditions.

Managing hive delivery

To maximize pollination, growers should space hives in groups of six to 12 every quarter mile rather than scattering singles across the field. This method ensures even coverage while keeping the work manageable for beekeepers.

Beekeepers typically move hives at night or early morning, when bees are in the hive. Growers can make the process smoother by:

• Providing drop-site maps.
• Placing hives near roadways.
• Flagging drop sites clearly.
• Supplying pallets so hives stay off wet ground.

Avoiding pesticide risks

Once hives arrive, growers must halt pesticide applications. While insecticides have long been recognized as harmful to bees, recent research shows herbicides and fungicides also pose risks—even those approved for organic use.

Protecting pollinators in fruit orchards requires growers to complete pesticide applications before hive delivery and wait until hives are removed before spraying again. Close, clear communication with beekeepers helps avoid costly misunderstandings.

Pollinators as insurance

Given the high costs of seed, fuel, equipment, fertilizer, and labor, investing in pollination is relatively small. Yet without strong pollination, all those other inputs can go to waste. 

Relying solely on honeybees remains risky, both financially and environmentally. Nurturing wild pollinators alongside managed hives strengthens resilience. Rental bees act less as a guarantee of success and more as insurance against failure.

By protecting pollinators in fruit orchards—managed and wild alike—growers can secure healthier harvests, higher yields, and long-term farm sustainability. 

— Ross Conrad, Dancing Bee Gardens, FGN correspondent

Ross Conrad lives in Middlebury, Vermont, and has been keeping bees and providing pollination services for 28 years. He is the author of Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture, 2nd Edition, published by Chelsea Green.