Honey Bees as Pollinators

Many crops require insects to move pollen from one flower to another. Pollination ensures fruit set, proper development, more fruit, and viable seed. Honey bees are the most important insect pollinator for crops grown in North Carolina.

• Vegetable and fruit crops that require honey bees include cucumbers, blueberries, watermelons, apples, squash, strawberries, melons, and peaches.
• Forage crops that benefit from honey bee pollination include alfalfa, cotton, peanuts, and soybeans.
• Averaged over the last five years, honey bees have directly accounted for approximately $96 million in annual fruit and vegetable production (67.9%) and approximately $186 million in total annual crop productivity (24.5%) (see Table 1).

Since the mid-1980s, honey bees have been plagued by two exotic parasitic mites that can kill entire colonies if left untreated. The result has been a dramatic drop in the state’s honey bee population.

• The estimated number of managed hives in the state has declined from a high of 180,000 hives before the mite introduction to only 100,000 hives currently.
• Most wild honey bee colonies, which also served as pollinators, have been wiped out by these mites.

It is now necessary that growers of bee-dependent crops rent hives to ensure proper and successful pollination.

• Pollination rentals often require pollination contracts between growers and beekeepers to ensure an adequate number of honey bees in the crop during the bloom period.
• An estimated 240,000 hives will be required for pollination in 2007 (see Table 2), which exceeds the number of managed hives in the state. Thus it is vital to contract pollinators well ahead of the date they are needed.

To locate beekeepers in your area, contact your local Cooperative Extension center or the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services.

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