# How many colonies can i put on a lavender crop and still get maximum honey yield?



## Roscoe D Soultrain (Jan 29, 2013)

I have a opportunity to put bees on a 3 acre, 3000 plant lavender crop. I have have no idea how many hives to place and still get maximum honey yield. It's a 3 hour trip from my home base, so i need to bring the right number the first time. If anyone could offer some good experienced advice.
Thank you in advance!


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## ken rice (Apr 28, 2010)

Well usually 2 per acre. As far as a maximum honey crop, that will bee determined by different factors. ( what is the availability in the area for the bees. They will forage from what ever is available not just the 3 acre crop. Strength and health of your bees.)


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## Roscoe D Soultrain (Jan 29, 2013)

The surrounding area is mostly juniper and not much else. I can see them finding some alternative pollen sources, but nectar is always scarce in this area. I will be coming off Arizona's spring desert honey flow, so i should be able to bring some large doubles and super from there.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

I had 3 hives on roughly 4000 lavender plants and never saw a single drop of lavender honey in three years. In our area, lavender blooms during the start of the really warm weather (pretty much a dearth), which makes collecting nectar tough. The bees were seen working it, but never collected a surplus. I gave up that yard last summer because of distance. Your area may be totally different. Good luck.


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## Roscoe D Soultrain (Jan 29, 2013)

I hope my area is different! I need me some lavender honey! 
I have read the 2 per acre number before, i just don't want to over or under do it


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

No surplus? I have a couple of lavender farms down the road from me a few miles. I was planning on parking a couple of hive at a friend of my daughter that is ¼ mile from the fields and trading some honey for the rent. I have some lavender and the plants are always covered with bees.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

They will work the 8,000 acres around it anyway... I'd put 20 hives there and see how they do. If they don't do well, I'd let the numbers fall back until they do.


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## Penzi (Jan 17, 2013)

I also will have a lavender field close by 1 mile

What type of honey would one get light or dark does it get any special taste if your luckey for a flow


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## Purple Dog Farm (Jun 25, 2013)

I have about 1500 lavender plants and I had 4 working hives last year and picked up about 150 pounds of lavender honey. It was wonderfully fragrant very light in color and crystallized to a fine grain that was still spreadable. This year we have doubled our hives and we will let you know how things turn out.


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