This message was originally submitted by [log in to unmask] to the BEE-L list at LISTSERV.ALBANY.EDU. It was edited to remove lengthy delivery error messages. From: [log in to unmask] Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]> Date: Sat, 15 Jan 2000 09:43:39 EST Subject: Re: Alfalfa Pollination To: [log in to unmask] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: Windows AOL sub 45 In a message dated 1/14/00 1:59:33 PM Pacific Standard Time, [log in to unmask] writes: << I have a feeling I am about to be called off to the races but, then again I don't think we discuss pollination enough. >> Hmmmm... all I have to do is leave for awhile, and suddenly everyone is talking pollination. Hmmmmm... Harry Whitcomb's book, "Bees are My Business" tells the story of the beginnings of alfalfa pollination with honeybees in great detail. It has quite an interesting note on how Utah destroyed its alfalfa seed industry by banning migratory beekeepers. The industry thought the bees were damaging the flowers! The book is out of print, but you probably can get it thru the library. Whitcomb knew that bees were helping the alfalfa pollination, but, at the levels that beekeepers stocked bees for honey, seed yields were poor. He was sure that higher stocking levels would accomplish more seed. No grower was willing to pay for more bees, and no beekeeper was willing to put more bees out, just to share the nectar resource with more hives. So he and a young extension agent negotiated an agreement with one seed grower to stock a very high rate of hives per acre, in exchange for a percentage of all the crop yield over what was then considered a high yield. Harry and the seed grower both made a bundle, and the alfalfa seed industry quickly saw that they'd get cheaper bees, if they paid for them, per hive. So a whole industry was born in California, and Utah never got back its prominance in the alfalfa seed industry. McGregor has already been mentioned as another resource. One key thing is that alfalfa is easy to evaluate. If pollination is poor, the flowers remain fresh and bright colored for a long time. If you have good bee activity, they will wilt within a couple hours. The whole field seems to change color. If you get that quick color change, you got the job done. Honeybees will learn that they get clunked by the tripping of the flower, and the older bees will learn to get nectar without being hit (and thereby not accomplishing pollination). You need to keep a high population of young bees, that are still too stupid to evade the blow. Dave http://pollinator.com