Projects

BEES SUPPORTING AGRICULTURE

Commercial Pollination Beyond Honey Production

Beekeeping is not only about producing honey. Managed honeybee colonies can also provide pollination services that support the production and quality of commercial crops.

Under a commercial pollination arrangement, a beekeeper places strong, well-managed bee colonies near a flowering crop for an agreed period.

As worker bees move between flowers collecting nectar and pollen, they transfer pollen from one flower to another. This supports fertilization, fruit development and more consistent crop production.

Commercial pollination is widely practised in countries where large areas of flowering crops require dependable populations of managed pollinators during a particular stage of the growing season.

THE POLLINATION CONTRACT

Deploying Langstroth Hives in a Raspberry Plantation

African Beekeepers Limited secured a commercial pollination contract for a raspberry plantation in Kenya. The contract covered the period during which the raspberry plants were in flower.

ABL deployed 150 well-stocked Langstroth beehives at seven locations across the plantation. Distributing the colonies across several sites helped position managed pollinators near the flowering crop.

Colony strength and appropriate timing are important in commercial pollination. The beehives must contain active colonies capable of producing enough foraging bees when the crop reaches its flowering period.

APIARY DESIGN

Managing Bees Alongside Plantation Workers

The beehives were positioned in clusters close to the raspberry fields. Each cluster was enclosed using shade-net fencing approximately 10 feet high.

The fencing encouraged bees leaving the hives to rise above the barrier before flying towards the flowering crop. This reduced low-level bee movement around the immediate apiary area and helped limit interference with plantation workers.

The arrangement allowed farming and pollination activities to take place within the same commercial environment while maintaining clearly designated apiary areas.

A SPECIALIZED AGRICULTURAL SERVICE

Managing Colonies for Crop Pollination

Providing pollination services requires careful planning, transportation and colony management. Hives must be moved into position at the appropriate time and distributed according to the size and layout of the flowering crop.

Beekeepers must also monitor colony strength, food availability, bee health and hive security throughout the contract period.

Commercial pollination creates an additional service opportunity for professional beekeepers while helping farmers benefit from the essential role bees play in agricultural production.