# Bees in the behive state.



## mgmarty (Jul 18, 2013)

Honey bees good or bad for the vineyard?


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## jamesngalveston (Jul 18, 2013)

i thought bees were natures best friend. i bet you would get some fine tasting honey...


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## Deezil (Jul 18, 2013)

Bees wont touch grapes, most times, except in the bad ways - they may suck the juice right out of the ripe grapes that you were hoping to harvest.. But that's if they dont have adequate stores already, normally.. Yellow Jackets and Hornets are more notorious for it, 'just because'.

They will however, do magic on the 'cover crops' - any clover, alfalfa, mustard, etc

Be careful with spray applications for the vineyard, even up to a few miles away especially if theres GMO corn anywhere; can devastate your bees

I'm interested in the combo, myself.. Been researching all I can


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## grapeman (Jul 19, 2013)

I can tell you that bees will indeed feed on grapes that are ripe, especially if there are any split ones. When we harvest, the grape lugs get dozens to hundreds of bees on the grapes. I try to shoo them away carefully while dumping them in the crusher/destemmer. I am highly allergic to bee stings so I carry an epi-pen with me during harvest. Thankfully no need to use it yet. I have had a beekeeper tell me his honey bees won't eat grapes- bullshitake.............. He needs to come see our vineyard at harvest since he has the closest hives to me.


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## Deezil (Jul 19, 2013)

grapeman said:


> I can tell you that bees will indeed feed on grapes that are ripe, especially if there are any split ones. When we harvest, the grape lugs get dozens to hundreds of bees on the grapes. I try to shoo them away carefully while dumping them in the crusher/destemmer. I am highly allergic to bee stings so I carry an epi-pen with me during harvest. Thankfully no need to use it yet. I have had a beekeeper tell me his honey bees won't eat grapes- bullshitake.............. He needs to come see our vineyard at harvest since he has the closest hives to me.



I really wonder if he's feeding them. If the area is in the middle of a dearth (dry spell, no nectar flow; it would be come late september/early-mid october) and he's not feeding, of course they'll feed off your grapes; i wouldnt want to starve either if someone just stole all my honey (winter stores). 

I'd ask him if he's feeding sugar syrup by harvest time. I mean its only nature, there's going to be "some" - but hundreds? Somethings up, there...


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## WellingtonToad (Dec 28, 2013)

Deezil said:


> Bees wont touch grapes, most times, except in the bad ways - they may suck the juice right out of the ripe grapes that you were hoping to harvest.. But that's if they dont have adequate stores already, normally.. Yellow Jackets and Hornets are more notorious for it, 'just because'.
> 
> They will however, do magic on the 'cover crops' - any clover, alfalfa, mustard, etc
> 
> ...



Deezil,
Your comments reflect what another beekeeper said to me. I just don't get it.
Two years ago I started making wine, last year I started beekeeping, this year I have put in a vineyard.
All of the time I am in the vineyard (only cuttings so far) there are one or two bees around me. That's OK as we do our own things.
In a couple of years when I let the vines flower, there will be pollen. As I am told, grapevines are wind pollinated, but if there is food there then surely the bees will eat and collect pollen. The down side is as was said above, they won't worry about the difference between pollen and grape sugars.
I am hoping for the double win of better grape set and more honey. Regardless, I will continue with both. Both are fun, just in different ways.


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## jamesngalveston (Dec 28, 2013)

I am not a bee keeper but i had a neighbor that was, and he swore that bees would suck juice out of any sweet fruit, and take back to the hive.
if that is the case, you should have some very good and rich honey....


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## Pumpkinman (Dec 28, 2013)

Rich,
I have to agree with you my friend, this year as I destemmed grapes, bees were everywhere, all over the lugs. The following day when I started an intense clean up spraying everything down and pushing all of the loose grapes off of our deck, the bees appeared to swarm me, at first I fought them off with the water hose (yes, it had to be comical), tossing all of the empty lugs off the deck, then spraying down everything real good; it didn't stop them, I had to go inside until after dusk.
I have a buddy who is thinking about getting a few hives, I've offered to learn everything that I can about bee keeping, and helping him out as long as I an get some of the honey!


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## mgmarty (Dec 29, 2013)

I do feed my bees in the fall, but never thought to feed them around Harvest time. I definitely will now. Makes sense, they seem to not forge for food when I'm feeding them.


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## WVMountaineerJack (Dec 30, 2013)

If you feed them during harvest wont that sugar water end up in the honey? I think the wasps break the grape skins and the bees come in afterwards and mop up. Maybe some wasp traps would keep the problem down. Maybe also plant something for them that blooms during your harvest season for them to gather nectar and pollen from? Recently in Beeculture they talked about bees pollinating different crops, bees seem to pollinate about 10% of the grapes in a vineyard, not as important as bees in apples but every little bit helps. 

The other side of your question, are vineyards good for bees, mostly no, some grape guys see something fly over their vineyard and get out the sprayer and douse everything in sight, and now fungicides are thought to be hurting beebread fermentation, they girls cant get a break.

WVMJ


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## WellingtonToad (Dec 30, 2013)

Jack,
I have to agree, my apples and pears are going crazy this year. I have never had crops like this.
10% is 10%. Better than I might have had. No other vineyards within Bee flight distance(5km), they are about 10 km off.
I'm still encouraged.


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