Bee Flora, Foraging and Pollination Services
Bee flora, foraging and pollination questions connect flowering plants, bee behaviour and crop yield.
Bee flora and pasturage
Bees need nectar for carbohydrate and pollen for protein. Important Indian bee plants include mustard, litchi, eucalyptus, jamun, coriander, karanj, neem, sunflower, cucurbits, citrus, apple and cotton. A beekeeper maps a bee pasturage calendar so colonies have flow periods and do not starve in the dearth.
Foraging behaviour
Scout bees find patches and communicate through dances. The round dance indicates food near the hive; the waggle dance encodes direction relative to the sun and distance. Foraging range is commonly 1-2 km, though A. mellifera may fly farther. Bees also collect water for cooling and propolis for sealing.
Pollination
Bees are major pollinators of entomophilous crops. Managed colonies increase yield and fruit set in mustard, sunflower, cucurbits, apple, pear and onion. Recommended hive density varies: about 3-4 colonies per hectare for mustard and 5-8 for apple orchards. Pollination value often exceeds honey value.
Worked example
A farmer has 1 ha of sunflower and asks whether to place 2 or 6 colonies. Reasoning: sunflower benefits from about 3-4 hives per hectare; 2 is low and 6 is more than needed. Place 4 strong colonies in the field before 10% flowering, with water nearby.
Traps
Do not confuse nectar with pollen. Do not claim bees forage mainly beyond 5 km. Do not move hives in full bloom without need, and never spray insecticide during flowering. Overstocking can reduce honey yield per colony even if pollination rises.