Bees Are Best Pollinators

Currently most beekeepers have taken their hives to California to pollinate this year’s almond crop, but many will turn their eyes to Northwest tree fruit in the next couple of weeks.

Dr. Timothy Lawrence said their popularity comes from the fact that they are perfect pollinators with, “Their hairy bodies, their ability to buzz helps facilitate the distribution of the pollen from the anthers on to their bodies and they’re able to fly from one flower to the next to transfer that pollen and have a receptive bit of pollen land on the stigma.”

There are reports that bees are responsible for about 1/3 of the food that we eat and contribute around $16-18 billion dollars to the agriculture economy.

But Lawrence said it’s more than just pollination, but fruit quality since “Having 10 seeds in that apple ensures a uniformly shaped apple that’s far more marketable and able to sell on the market at a higher price than a small apple.”

A pollinator will often keep their hive at a single location for about 30 days to guarantee the desired crop.

If you have a story idea for the Washington Ag Network, call (590) 547-1618, or e-mail krounce@cherrycreekradio.com.