Commercial Pollination

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Commercial Pollination

Some beekeepers make a living renting out active hives to farmers to help pollinate crops like apples, almonds, cucumbers, and alfalfa.

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A truck is loaded with bee hives for transport around the country to commercially pollinate agricultural crops.
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Reliance on Commercial Pollination

Almonds are entirely dependent on the seasonal importation of honey bees. It takes more than half of the country's commercially operated colonies to cover California's almonds.

Beekeepers in the commercial pollinating business follow routes based on blossoming times for different crops.

Popular crops that benefit from commercial pollination include apples and blueberries (which rely on honey bees for 90 percent of their pollination), peaches (50 percent) and oranges (30 percent).

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Transient bee hives in an almond grove.
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Pros and Cons of Migratory Pollination

There are both pros and cons of migratory pollination.

Pro

The most significant benefit of  migratory pollination is that it has increased American agriculture production substantially.

Con

The advantage of migratory pollination comes at the cost of disrupting the natural rhythm of honey bee colonies and puts a great deal of stress on the bees.  It exposes them to a greater number of pesticides, among other things.

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