Honey bees and their
importance for pollination in
North Carolina
David R. Tarpy
Assistant Professor and Extension Apiculturist
Department of Entomology, Campus Box 7613
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-7613
TEL: 919-515-1660
EMAIL: david_tarpy@ncsu.edu
Honey bees are the primary insect
pollinator used in agriculture
Pollination
The transfer of a plant’s male reproductive
cells (pollen) to the female reproductive
structures of a flower (stigma).
Nectaries of flowers
Visible light Ultraviolet light
The Annual Commercial Value of Crops
that is Attributable to Honey Bees
Fruit Value Value of HB
Crop ($ mil) Dependence % HB ($ mil)
Apple 1,502.6 1.0 90% 1,352.3
Apricot 37.8 0.7 80% 21.2
Blueberry 151.3 1.0 90% 136.1
Cherry 285.8 0.9 90% 131.4
Cranberry 294.9 1.0 90% 265.4
From Morse & Calderone (2000) Bee Culture
The Annual Commercial Value of Crops
that is Attributable to Honey Bees
Citrus Value Value of HB
Crop ($ mil) Dependence % HB ($ mil)
Grapefruit 297.4 0.8 90% 214.1
Lemon 268.2 0.2 100% 53.6
Lime 5.8 0.3 90% 1.6
Orange 1,869.8 0.3 90% 504.9
Tangerine 112.5 0.5 90% 50.6
From Morse & Calderone (2000) Bee Culture
The Annual Commercial Value of Crops
that is Attributable to Honey Bees
Other Fruit Value Value of HB
Crop ($ mil) Dependence % HB ($ mil)
Grape 2,704.6 0.1 90% 265.4
Avocado 254.6 1.0 90% 229.2
Pear 291.2 0.7 90% 183.5
Strawberry 900.1 0.2 10% 18.0
Peach 426.0 0.6 80% 204.0
From Morse & Calderone (2000) Bee Culture
The Annual Commercial Value of Crops
that is Attributable to Honey Bees
Nut Value Value of HB
Crop ($ mil) Dependence % HB ($ mil)
Almonds 959.2 1.0 100% 959.2
Macadamia 41.6 0.9 90% 33.7
Olive 70.2 0.1 10% 0.7
From Morse & Calderone (2000) Bee Culture
The Annual Commercial Value of Crops
that is Attributable to Honey Bees
Field Value Value of HB
Crop ($ mil) Dependence % HB ($ mil)
Alfalfa 7,756.9 1.0 60% 4,654.2
Cotton 5,360.7 0.2 80% 857.7
Peanut 1,013.7 0.1 20% 20.3
Soybean 16,490.7 0.1 50% 824.5
Sunflower 455.4 1.0 90% 409.9
From Morse & Calderone (2000) Bee Culture
The Annual Commercial Value of Crops
that is Attributable to Honey Bees
Vegetable Value Value of HB
Crop ($ mil) Dependence % HB ($ mil)
Asparagus 183.2 1.0 90% 164.9
Broccoli 483.8 1.0 90% 435.4
Carrot 467.5 1.0 90% 420.7
Cucumber 346.8 0.9 90% 281.0
Squash 240.5 0.9 0.1 21.6
From Morse & Calderone (2000) Bee Culture
The Annual Commercial Value of Crops
that is Attributable to Honey Bees
Vegetable Value Value of HB
Crop ($ mil) Dependence % HB ($ mil)
Celery 230.1 1.0 80% 184.1
Onion 735.3 1.0 90% 661.7
Pumpkin 200.0 0.9 10% 18.0
From Morse & Calderone (2000) Bee Culture
The Annual Commercial Value of Crops
that is Attributable to Honey Bees
Melon Value Value of HB
Crop ($ mil) Dependence % HB ($ mil)
Muskmelon 395.7 0.8 90% 284.9
Honeydew 91.7 0.8 90% 66.0
Watermelon 286.6 0.7 90% 180.5
From Morse & Calderone (2000) Bee Culture
Total Economic Impact of Honey
Bee Pollination
Bee-dependent crops account for $47.1
billion every year, of which $14.6
billion is attributable to honey bee
pollination
Honey bees are responsible for one-
third of everything that people eat
every day
From Morse & Calderone (2000) Bee Culture
Economic value of honey bees in
North Carolina
Total Value of Production ($1000s of dollars) .. Vaule attributable to honey bees ($1000s of dollars)
FRUITS AND
VEGATABLES 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 D P 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 5 Year Avg.
Apples 12,261.000 11,250.000 22,205.000 17,103.000 16,630.000 100% 90% 11,034.900 10,125.000 19,984.500 15,392.700 14,967.000 14,300.820
Blueberries 18,130.000 18,900.000 22,534.000 34,777.000 32,235.000 100% 90% 16,317.000 17,010.000 20,280.600 31,299.300 29,011.500 22,783.680
Brambles . . 583.440 938.250 982.560 80% 90% . . 420.077 675.540 707.443 601.020
Cucumbers (fresh) 11,900.000 10,764.000 12,075.000 13,260.000 11,340.000 90% 90% 9,639.000 8,718.840 9,780.750 10,740.600 9,185.400 9,612.918
Cucumbers (pickled) 24,300.000 24,147.000 23,490.000 23,612.000 19,404.000 90% 90% 19,683.000 19,559.070 19,026.900 19,125.720 15,717.240 18,622.386
Grapes 2,661.000 2,532.000 2,934.000 2,989.000 3,366.000 10% 10% 26.610 25.320 29.340 29.890 33.660 28.964
Melons . . 20,000.000 20,000.000 20,000.000 80% 90% . . 14,400.000 14,400.000 14,400.000 14,400.000
Peaches 4,440.000 1,400.000 3,500.000 2,400.000 2,940.000 60% 80% 2,131.200 672.000 1,680.000 1,152.000 1,411.200 1,409.280
Pumpkins . . 2,000.000 2,000.000 2,000.000 90% 10% . . 180.000 180.000 180.000 180.000
Squash 9,200.000 9,750.000 10,260.000 8,430.000 9,000.000 90% 10% 828.000 877.500 923.400 758.700 810.000 839.520
Strawberries 17,325.000 16,660.000 19,125.000 15,300.000 15,840.000 20% 10% 346.500 333.200 382.500 306.000 316.800 337.000
Watermelons 8,640.000 7,513.000 9,503.000 6,825.000 6,300.000 70% 90% 5,443.200 4,733.190 5,986.890 4,299.750 3,969.000 4,886.406
Subtotal 108,857.000 102,916.000 148,209.440 147,634.250 140,037.560 65,449.410 62,054.120 93,074.957 98,360.200 90,709.243 88,001.994
(% of total value) 60.1% 60.3% 62.8% 66.6% 64.8% 67.9%
FORAGE CROPS
Alfalfa (hay) 5,940.000 7,200.000 5,000.000 5,940.000 3,120.000 100% 60% 3,564.000 4,320.000 3,000.000 3,564.000 1,872.000 3,264.000
Cotton (lint) 363,538.000 254,564.000 163,263.000 322,051.000 253,286.000 20% 80% 58,166.080 40,730.240 26,122.080 51,528.160 40,525.760 43,414.464
Cotton (seed) 44,441.000 25,704.000 25,704.000 37,692.000 41,795.000 20% 80% 7,110.560 4,112.640 4,112.640 6,030.720 6,687.200 5,610.752
Peanuts . . 45,990.000 73,280.000 77,112.000 10% 20% . . 919.800 1,465.600 1,542.240 1,309.213
Soybeans . . 174,305.000 306,180.000 257,550.000 10% 50% . . 8,715.250 15,309.000 12,877.500 12,300.583
Subtotal 413,919.000 287,468.000 414,262.000 745,143.000 632,863.000 68,840.640 49,162.880 42,869.770 77,897.480 63,504.700 65,899.013
(% of total value) 16.6% 17.1% 10.3% 10.5% 10.0% 13.2%
TOTAL 522,776.000 390,384.000 562,471.440 892,777.250 772,900.560 134,290.050 111,217.000 135,944.727 176,257.680 154,213.943 153,901.007
(% of total value) 25.7% 28.5% 24.2% 19.7% 20.0% 24.5%
D = Dependency of crop on insect pollination for fruit set Resources: National Agricultural Statistics Service
P = Proportion of insect pollinators that are honey bees Morse, R. A. & N. W. Calderone. (2000). The value of honey bees as pollinators of U.S. crops in 2000. Bee Culture 128: 1-15.
McGregor, S. E. (1976). Insect Pollination Of Cultivated Crop Plants . Agriculture Handbook No. 496, USDA-ARS, U.S. Gov. Print. Office, Washington, DC.
From Tarpy (2006). NCSU Beekeeping Note 3.14
Economic value of honey bees in
North Carolina
Over the last five years, honey
bees have directly accounted
for an average of $88
million in annual fruit and
vegetable production
(67.9%) and approximately
$154 million in total annual
crop productivity (24.5%)
From Tarpy (2006). NCSU Beekeeping Note 3.14
Loss of honey bee colonies
• 90-95% of the feral (“wild”)
colonies have disappeared
• Managed colonies nationwide
have dropped from 3.27 million
to 2.59 million since 1986 (21%)
• In NC alone, we have gone from
180,000 to 100,000 in two
decades (44%)
USDA Agricultural Statistics Service
Recommended Estimated Values for 2006
CROP Hives/acre Acreage No. hives needed
Alfalfa (hay) 3.0 10,800 32,400
Apples 1.0 5,400 5,400
Blueberries 5.0 4,960 24,800
Brambles 3.0 240 720
Cucumbers (fresh) 2.0 6,140 12,280
Cucumbers (pickled) 2.0 16,220 32,440
Melons 1.0 4,500 4,500
Peaches 0.2 1,080 216
Pumpkins 1.0 1,500 1,500
Squash 1.0 2,520 2,520
Strawberries 1.0 1,620 1,620
Watermelons 2.0 6,800 13,600
TOTAL 63,120 131,996
From Tarpy (2006). NCSU Beekeeping Note 3.14
Bringing together growers in need of pollination services and
beekeepers who have honey bee colonies for rent. Respective parties
post advertisements about their need or availability of bees.
www.ncagr.com/beelinked
P. J. Berckmans, 1877
“…Growers would find their occupation
gone if honey bees and other (pollinating)
insects were out of existence.”
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http://entomology.ncsu.edu/apiculture
