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Willie Moore grows blue-berries
in nearby Ivanhoe. He
points out that the weather must
cooperate along with the bees.
“Bees are vitally important,
but the weather has got to be
decent before the bees will
actually fly,” he says. “When
you have flowers hanging out
in the field you’ve got about six
or seven days to get that flower
pollinated before it will abort.
That’s why your bee population
is your lifeblood. Without bees
you don’t have fruit, or vegeta-bles,
or anything.”
Traditionally, a farmer would
rent one hive per acre, but with
a six-day pollination window
for blueberry blooms, it some-times
works better to have more.
Rental fees vary between $80
to $150 per hive for the bloom
season. Circumstances can drive
the price higher.
ALLISON POTTER
