Your Food Wouldn’t Bee Here Without Them: What and When Bees Pollinate

Without bees, we would not have many of the vegetables and fruits we eat every day. Pollinators such as bees, birds, bats, beetles, and other small insects pollinate over 1,200 crops. Between $235 and $577 billion of annual global food production depends on the direct contributions of pollinators, and almost one out of every three bites of food you eat is made possible by pollinators! 

Pollinators also add $217 billion to the global economy. Honey bees are an indispensable part of that—in the United States, they account for between $1.2 and $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity. The value of honey bees is powerful. A colony of honeybees is worth 100x more to a community than the beekeeper.

The Many Crops That Are Pollinated by Bees

Bees pollinate crops such as apples, cranberries, melons, almonds, and broccoli. Fruits like blueberries and cherries are 90% dependent on honey bee pollination, and during bloom time, almonds depend entirely on honey bees for pollination. To pollinate the nearly 1.2 million acres of almond-bearing orchards in California’s Central Valley, the California almond industry needs 1.8 million honey bee colonies. 

The fruits and vegetables you eat on a daily basis are also made possibly by honey bee pollination, including but not limited to watermelons, pumpkins, squashes, zucchinis, lentils, tomatoes, strawberries, mangos, avocados, plums, peaches, apricots, pomegranates, pears, blackberries, raspberries, grapes, peanuts, macadamia nuts, mustard seeds, coconuts, soybeans, and coffee.

Honeybee-Pollinated Crop Locations

Almonds

These crops are located across the country. Almonds primarily come from California, which produces 82% of the world’s almonds. 800,000 acres of almond across a 400-mile stretch from Tehama County to Kern County are harvested.

Cranberries

Wisconsin is the leading producer of cranberries. In 2017, Wisconsin produced 62% of the United States’ crop. Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington also lead in cranberry production.

Blueberries

Maine and Michigan are the top American producers of blueberries, accounting for nearly 50% of the blueberry industry.

Watermelon

Accounting for 19% of the 3.9 billion pounds of watermelon production in the U.S. in 2012, Florida has historically been the top watermelon producer. In 2012, Florida, Georgia, California, and Texas made up two-thirds of U.S. output.

Apples

Washington state leads apple production in the United States by a large margin—in 2018, Washington produced 140 million more bushels than New York, the next state in line.

Cucumbers

Florida leads for production of all types of fresh cucumbers, whereas Michican leads in the production of cucumbers best suited for pickling. Squash production is led by California in value, while Florida, Georgia, and Michigan follow.

Pumpkins

Illinois is the number one pumpkin-producing state, producing twice as many pumpkins as the next four states in 2018. The top five states (Illinois, Texas, Indiana, California, and Pennsylvania) produced about 40% of the United States’ pumpkin crop, which was about 1 billion pounds of pumpkins.

Pears & Peaches

For pears, California, Oregon, and Washington are responsible for most of the production. For peaches, California, South Carolina, Georgia, and New Jersey are the top four producers, with California in the lead. California produced nearly 50% of the United States’ fresh peach crop and more than 96% of processed peaches in 2017.

Cherries

Washington, the U.S. leader in cherry production, produced 210,550 tons of sweet cherries in 2017. Oregon and California followed with 62,080 tons and 55,000 tons, respectively.

When is Pollination Season?

Almond Pollination Season

The almond pollination season occurs in early February to mid-March, warranting the focus of attention from the bee industry. Cranberry blossoms are ready for pollination from mid to late June. 

Watermelon Pollination Season

For watermelons, hired colonies are required for longer than most crops—most colonies are placed in fields from late May until early September.

Blueberry Pollination Season

Blueberry pollination season occurs in July and August. 

Squashes and Cucumbers Pollination Season

Similarly, pumpkins, squash, and cucumbers—cucurbits—begin to flower in the summer by July and are ready to be pollinated by then. Many people choose to hand pollinate these vegetables.

Tree Fruit Pollination Season: Apples, Pears, Peaches, Cherries

Tree fruits like apples, pears, peaches, and cherries start blooming in the spring. The flowers of cherries and peaches start blooming in mid-April to early May, and pear flowers bloom around late April to Mid-May. Apple flowers generally bloom in early to late May but can start in late April—it varies by varietal. Once these flowers bloom, they are ready for pollination and will bear fruit continuing into the fall. 

The Number of Bees Needed to Pollinate Crops

A honey bee hive has one colony, which typically consists of 20,000 bees. The number of colonies for pollination a fruit or vegetable requires varies:

• Almonds: 2 colonies/acre
• Cranberries: 2-3 colonies/acre
• Blueberries: 1-2 colonies/acre
• Watermelons: 1.3 colonies/acre
• Apples: 1-2 colonies/acre
• Cucumbers: 3 colonies/acre
• Squashes: 1-2 colonies/acre
• Pumpkins: 0.5-1 colony/acre
• Pears: 1-2 colonies/acre
• Peaches: 1-3 colonies/acre
• Cherries: 1-2 colonies/acre

2017 Prices to Pollinate Crops Managed by Bees

The price to pollinate crops managed by bees varies by fruit or vegetable. The USDA’s Cost of Pollination study was suspended after 2017. Its last study in 2017 found these costs:

• Almonds:
  • $171/colony
  • $272/acre
  • Colony average was $190 in 2018
  • Projected 2019 fee was $198/colony
• Cranberries:
  • $78/colony
  • $162/acre
• Blueberries:
  • $55.90/colony
  • $85.50/acre
• Watermelons:
  • $55.70/colony
  • $63.70/acre
• Apples:
  • $55.70/colony
  • $63.70/acre
• Cucumbers:
  • $51.40/colony
  • $43.30/acre
• Pumpkins:
  • $66.60/colony
  • $56.60/acre
• Squashes:
  • $47.30/colony
  • $47.60/acre
• Pears:
  • $55.70/colony
  • $61.90/acre
• Peaches:
  • $46/colony
  • $49.70/acre
• Cherries:
  • $52.60/colony
  • $80.60/acre

2019 Prices to Pollinate Crops Managed by Bees

California State Beekeeper’s Pollination Fee Survey for almond pollination fees found that almond growers were paying on average $195 per colony in 2019. However, fees ranged from $200 to $220 per colony.

If you want your crops to flourish, consider using honey bee pollination to facilitate their growth. Make sure to do your research so that you have the right amount of bees for the right amount of vegetables and fruits!