How far from the hive do honey bees fly to pollinate fruit trees?

Question

I see honey bees busy pollinating my two blooming fruit trees, but I don't know where they came from. What does their hive look like? Is there a way of encouraging them to make one nearby without becoming a beekeeper?

Answer 1

Up to a mile. It could be a box like a Langstroth hive that a regular beekeeper is using or it could be a hole in a wall, a hollow log, tree or anything they can crawl into that is big enough to hold them.

Encourage them without becoming a beekeeper?

I like the idea of being a beehelper.

By the way, Langstroth hives are those square boxes, normally white but often painted every other colour you can imagine

But other than planting lots of flowers that bloom throughout the season, and leaving places for a hive to lodge, there is not much I can think of.

-----------

edit much later.

5 miles?

Who would have thought it would be so far? I guess it is good that they fly instead of walk eh.

Answer 2

I did a LOT of research on bees, when the commercial bees start to die.  I live on a farm and I'd eventually like to have my own apriary.

Domestic bees will actually fly up to FIVE miles from the hive in search of flowers.  However they usually stay within one mile of the hive.  

If you are interested in bees, you can encourage our native orchard mason bees to your home.  

I have a goat in labor right now (first time mother) so I have to go out to her.  I'll post more tomorrow on the orchard mason bees.

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Answer 3

According to this site, the answer is as far as it has to. He backs up the answer with research showing that bees will travel up to twenty miles from it's hive if necessary to find food. The hive will start losing weight, however, if they have to travel more than 5 miles to find food. Give it a read, it's very interesting reading.

http://www.beesource.com/pov/traynor/bcj...

Answer 4

5 miles!

Answer 5

2 points ya!!!!

Answer 6

1 mile radius