# Florida Pollination Prices?



## TwT (Aug 5, 2004)

with the almond prices up high the last few years and some east coast guys running to California trying to get some almond money what have the orange pollination prices been doing the last few years? just wondering if they have gone up also and how big of a demand for bee's is it now? just the last few years info I was wondering about.


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## redbee (Dec 29, 2005)

Getting paid to put bees in orange......don't think so


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## TwT (Aug 5, 2004)

ok, well they grow all kinds of things in Florida like melons and other things, they are not free also are they?


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## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

I wish we got paid to put bees in orange groves. The going price for pollination in the spring is $50 to $60 a hive ,and around $40 to $50 in the fall.


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## Mathispollenators (Jun 9, 2008)

*Watermaelons*

We pollinate watermelons and get $55 per hive in a 50 mile range then a fuel charge for mileage after that.


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## TwT (Aug 5, 2004)

how high is the demand for bee's? I heard it is rising, a friend of mine has 200 hives and the people he pollinates for wants him to supply 500 this year so he spliting like crazy, good thing hes in florida to do this. what have yaw seen?


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## TwT (Aug 5, 2004)

how high is the demand for bee's? I heard it is rising, a friend of mine has 200 hives and the people he pollinates for wants him to supply 500 this year so he splitting like crazy, good thing hes in florida to do this. what have yaw seen?


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## Mathispollenators (Jun 9, 2008)

*People do like melons*

"And that's all I got to say bout that" like Forest said. Seriously we are splitting too as it seems new people are calling lots more this year.


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## TwT (Aug 5, 2004)

Mathis, are you getting any demands for pollination in Ga. ? seems with all the queen raisers in south ga there would be plenty of bee's. give me the scoop please?


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## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

TwT said:


> how high is the demand for bee's? I heard it is rising, a friend of mine has 200 hives and the people he pollinates for wants him to supply 500 this year so he splitting like crazy, good thing hes in florida to do this. what have yaw seen?


There is plenty of spring pollination , you will make more money making orange honey though. Your bees will look better and you dont have to fight the sand. 

Now if you can make early splits and set them out there, then it might be worth it.


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## Mathispollenators (Jun 9, 2008)

*Not much in Ga*

We don't do much pollination here in Ga. We have some blackberry fields we do but don't charge the farmers there. One reason is we make splits and honey off these guys. There are some here that pollinate the squash, cucumbers, and other vegitables but not us. My dad has been in Chiefland FL for years and has all he can do around there. During the non pollinating times we split or make honey for them to survive on.


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## TwT (Aug 5, 2004)

so I think I see the picture, Florida is mainly a honey and hive build up state for the one's wintering hives there and going up north for blue berries, pumpkins and etc. then they get payed to pollinate. I see now why some take a chance to go to California to make some money, but I can't believe some leave without having staging area's and contracts in the almonds after having to pay shipping prices, like Russian Rule-ET ain't it :scratch: .


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

Total insanity especially as there are plently of brokers in California. One phone call, I repeat 1 phone call made early enough could avoid so much grief. Now if after say 2-3 years with a little bit of experience under your belt, and if you felt that the broker is not earning his cut, then I suppose you could consider venturing out on your own, certainly not before that. 


Jean-Marc


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## TwT (Aug 5, 2004)

well thats what will bring the prices down in the almonds, guys going with no contracts or areas to stage hive's and finding out its not what it sounds like as for demand, they end up taking lower cost to try to pay for the trip and dropping the price for everyone. I heard the price up north for pollinators has risen also since CCD. wonder why they not make plans to go there or they could have , I dont know! might be trying for it all :scratch: , I am not a pollinator, just trying to see the picture.


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## RAST (Oct 30, 2008)

I may be speaking out of turn here, but growing up here, surrounded by citrus and now keeping a few hives myself. I never knew of any grove owners (and I knew a bunch) paying for pollination. Too many northern beekeepers coming down looking for a productive place to winter their bees. I also read a pollination study (older) that said bees didn't increase prodution on citrus very much at all. Another problem is the citrus canker disease. You are/were required to spray your vehicle when leaving a grove with a disinfectant before entering another grove. Please correct me if I am wrong, then next year I can (try to) charge for these bees I am currently moving to a grove.


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## Dale Hodges (Jul 13, 2007)

Citrus does not require cross pollination, some years the bees help, most years they don't. Thier are a lot of crops grown that need pollination, mostly in south Fl. Theres a lot of copetition of the contracts so not as easy to depend on. I agree theres more money in the honey crop....at least for now.


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## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

Dale Hodges said:


> Citrus does not require cross pollination, some years the bees help, most years they don't. Thier are a lot of crops grown that need pollination, mostly in south Fl. Theres a lot of copetition of the contracts so not as easy to depend on. I agree theres more money in the honey crop....at least for now.


Most juice fruit dosen't require pollination but some fresh fruit does. Ive been paid to put them in Tangerines , but the bees do better in valencia. 

The spring pollination is easy to come by , its the fall thats hard to get.


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## Dale Hodges (Jul 13, 2007)

I was generalizing, maybe I shouldn't. Yes , there are some citrus that need cross pollination. Maybe it more about location, but I've always done best in the navel groves. Maybe its the company I keep, but I've been under cut a few times....at the last minute....kinda soured me on pollination.


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## florida pollinator (Jul 31, 2006)

Round oranges(i.e.juice fruit) are self pollinating,but do produce higher pound solids ,or juice produced when pollinated,but not enough to be able to get growers to pay for.That's why they want or allow bees in .
As for veggie contracts ,I don't think it's that easy to find ,unless your one of the low ballers that under charges the rest of us.
If your charging 50 to 60 dollars or more you'll have a hard time replacing the 40 dollar guy,which there still is out here,which by it's self doesn't say much for the business sense of some beekeepers here and abroad.


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## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

florida pollinator said:


> Round oranges(i.e.juice fruit) are self pollinating,but do produce higher pound solids ,or juice produced when pollinated,but not enough to be able to get growers to pay for.That's why they want or allow bees in .
> As for veggie contracts ,I don't think it's that easy to find ,unless your one of the low ballers that under charges the rest of us.
> If your charging 50 to 60 dollars or more you'll have a hard time replacing the 40 dollar guy,which there still is out here,which by it's self doesn't say much for the business sense of some beekeepers here and abroad.


 We turn down 50 and 60 dollar pollinations all spring, its just not worth the hassell. Some guys do charge 40 a hive. I dont know between the sand and the drifting its just not worth it.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

RAST said:


> I also read a pollination study (older) that said bees didn't increase prodution on citrus very much at all.


They may not increase production, but a grower told me that he could tell how far away from the hives the bees flew because of a drop off in sugar content(?).


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## TwT (Aug 5, 2004)

sqkcrk said:


> They may not increase production, but a grower told me that he could tell how far away from the hives the bees flew because of a drop off in sugar content(?).


you mean the bee's bring up the sugar content in the fruit?


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