What fee for an apiary site?

[Plenty of honey]

I agree but that’s beekeeping !! Same as if you rent a house or have a loan on a car, it’s an agreement you make and you have to stick to it!!


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[mazzamazda]

So in a bad year, it's off to Sainsbury for >10kgs of sugar & 16 jars of value Honey?

I don't do honey so I always buy in honey, this year lovely local Eucalyptus honey. I wouldn't ever give them junk. I agree with Plentyofhoney, you don't turn to your bank at the end of the month and say, well it's been a tough month, can I pay that CC next month?

 

[Ely]

It depends on the situation. A beekeeper on land where the landowner doesn’t benefit from the bees should pay in some form if the the landowner wants payment. A beekeeper on a farm, orchard, fruit grower, what ever should not pay at all. If they are feeling kind they can give honey but it should not be expected. Some beekeepers charge for pollination services. Especially in the USA. Don’t always assume you are the customer

 

[Noddy]

Our association has regular calls from people offering garden space and some solar farms. I have some hives in two gardens that open for the National Garden Scheme charity.

I don't have any formal agreements with the owners, nor was any 'rent' discussed, but I offer a couple of jars of honey per hive, which is glad accepted, usually with an offer to pay for the honey - which I refuse.

In my experience, the land owners are glad to have the bees, which is why they offer the space in the first place.

I use the honey as a sweetener (no pun intended), the same as I do when offering my neighbours honey.

Keeps 'em sweet

 

[Helen]

What benefit does a solar farm get from bees? It's not as is they are needed to pollinate the solar cells? Or is there some advantage in terms of grants, etc?

 

[Anduril]

What benefit does a solar farm get from bees? It's not as is they are needed to pollinate the solar cells? Or is there some advantage in terms of grants, etc?

A couple of examples: https://1010uk.org/articles/solar-farm-honey-might-just-be-our-favourite-thing-ever
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp....tural-habitats-for-threatened-british-species
They are a secure site for your bees. There is also a time limited use of around 25 years. The sites are usually of low agricultural use, after the 25 years they then become brown field sites for building on.

 

[For want of a better word]

A couple of examples: https://1010uk.org/articles/solar-farm-honey-might-just-be-our-favourite-thing-ever
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp....tural-habitats-for-threatened-british-species
They are a secure site for your bees. There is also a time limited use of around 25 years. The sites are usually of low agricultural use, after the 25 years they then become brown field sites for building on.

The CPRE have a lot to say about that... very hot potato!

Many are given planning consent to the effect at the end of their ? useful? life the solar fields systems are returned to pasture.

I wonder what the cost to the environment is, cradle to grave, per kWh in comparison to a nuclear plant?

Yeghes da

 

[Anduril]

The CPRE have a lot to say about that... very hot potato

Indeed!

 

[MartinL]

The CPRE have a lot to say about that... very hot potato!

Today, Yes.

But more than worth a punt for the developers with their massive legal department.

If we're around in 25 years time I'd be surprised if this turned out to be anything other than a massive gold mine for them.

 

[Easy Beesy]

Find out what they grow. Most veg don't need pollination to grow, only to seed. Any fruit? Do they grow & harvest own veg or flower seeds. Is there even enough forage to support the tbh never mind your hives. Will there be a clash between you & tbh owner? What about swarms? Theirs, yours and the public working there. A little more knowledge would help. I would suggest an informal chat to discuss expectations on both sides is first move.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

What benefit does a solar farm get from bees? It's not as is they are needed to pollinate the solar cells? Or is there some advantage in terms of grants, etc?

I suspect that what they get from having bees in a solar energy site is 'green credentials'.

The next time a planning application that goes in for solar energy farm, they can point to their other sites and say "we're doing all this and we're producing clean energy". It's a classic win-win situation.

Mind you, the NIMBYs are not above misrepresenting the situation. "I will be able to see this turbine when I emerge from my driveway" said a local retired admiral. He'd need a bl**dy good telescope because he lived 3 miles from the site but truth goes by the board when they're fighting the "green" fight against big business! If it's a good story, you're allowed to exaggerate - News of the World motto.

CVB

 

[MartinL]

Find out what they grow. Most veg don't need pollination to grow, , , , .

Peas, Beans, Tomatoes, Pumpkins, Squash, Melons, Cucumber, Courgetts, Chestnuts, Auergine, then there's all the fruit trees, Vines & Berries.

 

[Helen]

Find out what they grow. Most veg don't need pollination to grow, only to seed. Any fruit? Do they grow & harvest own veg or flower seeds. Is there even enough forage to support the tbh never mind your hives. Will there be a clash between you & tbh owner? What about swarms? Theirs, yours and the public working there. A little more knowledge would help. I would suggest an informal chat to discuss expectations on both sides is first move.

Veg (toms, squash, potatoes, corn, brassicas, salads, beans etc)

Fruit (a growing fruit orchard plus net trees)

A cut flower area

And much forage beyond in both gardens, woods, hedgerows, fields.

They own the TBH but am not sure they have anyone who manages it. They leave it in a corner of the field, don't take any honey either from it - they have it for pollination.

They suggested the placement of bees on their land to me when I was there last weekend.

 

[Easy Beesy]

Toms, brassicas,most salad have little interaction with honeybees. Often little forage in woods & fields. But seems a nice variety. Flowers & fruit could be useful too. Would there be Enough for a whole years forage, or just in summer? Spose it also depends if you going to be moving them permanently?

 

[Easy Beesy]

Peas, Beans, Tomatoes, Pumpkins, Squash, Melons, Cucumber, Courgetts, Chestnuts, Auergine, then there's all the fruit trees, Vines & Berries.

The following are technically fruits: avocado, melons, aubergine, beans, peapods, corn kernels, cucumbers, grains, nuts, olives peppers, pumpkin, squash, sunflower seeds and tomatoes. So as I said few veg require pollination except for seeds.

 

[Millet]

The following are technically fruits: avocado, melons, aubergine, beans, peapods, corn kernels, cucumbers, grains, nuts, olives peppers, pumpkin, squash, sunflower seeds and tomatoes. So as I said few veg require pollination except for seeds.

most will be wind pollinated anyway. and if you buy F1 varieties the world is your Oyster..

 

[Helen]

I heard back from the farm ... they are looking for hosting bees as a means of making money. They still haven't decided on any fee yet. But with that approach, I doubt I would be interested but will still see what they offer.

 

[Beefriendly]

If they want more than 2/3 jars of honey per hive tell them to forget it...It's you that is doing all the hard work and providing the hard earned expertise, it's you that needs recompensing. They will benefit by higher yields on their crops. Despite many crops being self fertile pollination by insects increases the yields.

Or, you enter into a pollination contract, again where you are paid by them for the pollination service provided by your bees.
Not the other way round.