NC Pollinators

Western NC:

By: Marvin A. Owings, Jr., Hendersonville Co. Agricultural Extension Agent

1997 BEES FOR RENT

Pollination season is just around the corner! Bees will be in short supply this season, especially our wild population. Now is the time to contact your beekeeper for bee rentals. Because of the mite problem many beekeepers have gone out of business or cut back the size of their operation.

We recommend using one hive per acre of orchard. This recommendation will provide adequate pollinization under our worst weather conditions (in most years).

Place strong hives around the orchard (groups of four) when you see the first king bloom. To make sure hives are strong enough we recommend hives should have 6 frames of brood. Also you should be able to count 75 bees going in and out at the hive within one minute at temperatures of 70 degrees or more on a sunny day.

Hives should be removed from orchards at petal fall. Below is a listing of beekeepers who have hives for rent:

BEES FOR RENT 1997
#HIVES	NAME PHONE #	ADDRESS
2	HAROLD BRADLEY 693-4601	TUXEDO, N.C.
45	L.C. METCALF	2250 N. MAIN STREET, HENDERSONVILLE, N.C.
50	CECIL WORSHAM 693-4565	2134 N. MAIN ST., HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. 28739
25	STEVE WORLEY 692-8479	648 STONEY MTN. ROAD, HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. 28739
100	GREG ROGERS 704-298-7639	15 GRAHAM RD., ASHEVILLE, NC.
200	BRIAN BROWN 693-3093	RT. 6, BOX 85, HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. 28792
5,000	DYSON FISHER 1-800-736-6205	FISHER BEE FARM, LEWISTOWN, PA
200	ED BUCHANAN 704-669-8936	602 BLUE RIDGE ROAD, BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. 28711
25	ROY BALLARD 692-7904	RT. 1, BOX 432, BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. 28711
20	TIM STAMPER 910-372-2721	STAR RT. BOX 39-A, SPARTA, N.C. 28675

Peaceful Valley Honey, Greg Fariss, Mocksville, NC 27028, (336)-998-2975 (Farmington area), 35 colonies. Cucurbants, blueberries, strawberries and orchards, willing to consider any crop.

David Owen, 564 Ward Rd., Denton NC 27239 336-859-9778 8 hives, anywhere in NC except quarntine counties, all crops but tobacco, For 2002 season

Eastern NC:
Busybee Apiaries, Jack Tapp, 1201 New Hope Church Rd., Chapel Hill, NC 27516, 919-942-2006, blueberries,strawberries,watermelons,and cucumbers in the Northern coastal plain of S.C. and Eastern N.C. 600+ hives.

Turtle Island Apiaries, Richard Gunderman, Jerry Johnson, 9516 Virgilina Rd. Roxboro, NC 27573 336-322-4222 or 919-608-1320 or 919-608-1338. 200 or more hives for spring 2002 Available NC, SC, VA, WV, MD, PA.

Walter Moore, 68 Nathan Dudley Rd. Clinton, NC 28328

LFC Pollination of North Carolina, Charles & Nancy Fleckenstein, 3414 Gibbs Ln., Hillsborough, NC 27278 (919) 732-4134, 100+ hives, Will travel to all of NC,
Any and all crops considered.