??>My question is: How many hives per acre are recommended for plum
pollination? If the number of trees is not large, I.e. ten to twenty, would
one hive do the job? Bob H., I know you are into apples but maybe there is a
correlation?

Plums usually bloom for awhile and have too heavy a set so one strong hive
would most likely work for 10-20 trees . Certainly no more than two would be
needed. Two hives might be best if you get poor weather during the bloom
*or* Maples, willows or another tree is also blooming but I raise plums and
the bees love plum blossoms.

Due to the number of hives in the area of my plum trees about every blossom 
gets pollinated which means plums needed thinned. Branches break at times. 
What I see when a blooms does not get pollinated the plum simply drops from 
the tree rather than produces a misshapen fruit like the apple does.

Chemical thinning does not work well with plums and hand pruning is work!

10-20 plum trees usually indicates a grower with plum sales. Those I have 
been involved with want hives and then check daily and then want the hives 
pulled when they figure they have pollinated enough blossoms as they do not 
want every blossom pollinated for the reasons I stated.

bob

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html

Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at:
http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm