c1048.txt

As an example, in California, the pollination of almonds occurs in February, early in the growing season, before local hives have built up their populations. Almond orchards require two hives per acre (2,000 m² per hive) for maximum yield and so the pollination is highly dependent upon the importation of hives from warmer climates. Almond pollination, which occurs in February and March, is the largest managed pollination event in the world, requiring more than one third of all the managed honey bees in the United States. Massive movement of honey bee are also made for apples in New York, Michigan, and Washington. And despite the inefficiency of honey bees in pollinating blueberries,[17] huge numbers are also moved to Maine for blueberries, because they are the only pollinators that can be relatively easily moved and concentrated for this and other monoculture crops. Commercial beekeepers plan their movements and their wintering locations with prime reference to the pollination services they plan to perform. Honey bees immersed in yellow beavertail cactus pollen, in the High Desert of California. Bees, as well as some other insects, are particularly beneficial as pollinators to most plants, as they maintain flower constancy, which means they are more likely to transfer pollen to other conspecific plants.[18] Also, flower constancy prevents the loss of pollen during interspecific flights and pollinators from clogging stigmas with pollen of other flower species.