I'm just wondering if anyone has any valuable/informative input on this
issue as I am in the process of constructing a map of colony locations and
numbers for a local assoc.
Hi there
A lot of people have worked on such questions as colony density of feral colonies as well as colony density of kept hives. Naturally, a given region is favorable or unfavorable over time, depending on seasonality. Some regions have nectar available throughout the year while in others, the gathering season may last only a number of weeks. The most useful information I can find is probably this:
Population, distribution and density of honeybee colonies. In 2010, the total number of colonies in Europe calculated from the questionnaires was 13,845,070.
Colony density was relatively heterogeneous in Europe (average 4.263 colonies/km2). Greece and Hungary had the highest density of colonies (about 10 colonies/km2).
The lowest density (1 colony/km2 or less) was found in 6 countries located in the extreme north of Europe (Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Norway and Sweden).
ΒΆ
These are the numbers that have evolved over centuries of beekeeping activity in an area where large scale migratory beekeeping is fairly rare.
A square kilometer is about 250 acres. Therefore, the highest density would be 1 colony per 25 acres, which is far lower than your suggested 1 colony in 2 to 6 acres. I am not sure how you arrived at that figure, but it would appear to be way over-crowded.
Bear in mind, honey production requires larger acreages than pollination. Growers want very high densities of colonies, more than the acreage can really support. That's why they pay so much money for bees, the bees lose weight while they are pollinating at densities of 1 or 2 hives per acre.
In Montana, registered apiaries are regulated to be no less than 3 miles apart. This would give the apiary access to about 6000 acres. If the apiary was 120 hives (common for commercial beekeeping) that would be 1 colony per 50 acres. The average in Europe is 4.2/km2, or 1 per 60 acres. I don't think it's a coincidence these numbers are nearly the same.
Charles says he figures apiaries at 24 and the range at 8000 acres; 1 per 333 acres. That is less dense than the lowest density mentioned above, which is 1 colony per km2 or 1 per 250 acres. In the northern range of beekeeping.
Having lived in both the east and the west, I have observed the fact that western beekeepers tend to have large yards (60-120) and eastern beekeepers, small ones (12-36). I don't believe this reflects anything other than tradition.
PLB
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