Sweet Pines Apiary

1260 Walnut Avenue, Bohemia, NY 11716-2176

Home: 631-567-1936; Cell: 631-707-1544

Pollination Order and Agreement

Fruit/Vegetable Grower_________________________________________ Phone____________________

Address_________________________________________________________________________________

Order for _____ hives, for the blossom period of _______________________, the approximate bloom (crop)

Dates being _________________ to ________________. Second crop ______________ to ______________

In consideration of $________________ at _________________ and $___________________upon delivery.

(Deposit) (Date) (Remainder)

Terms:

• Confirmed orders (priority in case of shortage) - 20% Deposit. Payment in full at delivery. Credit only by prior arrangement. Delinquent accounts subject to 1.5% interest per month and collection costs.
• Bees and equipment are contracted for the purpose of pollination only, and remain the exclusive property of beekeeper. The bees are to be delivered by the beekeeper, placed in or adjacent to the field or orchard so as to provide bees to cross pollinate the blossoms, and removed thereafter. Beekeeper shall have access to the bees at all times, and may remove them if their well being is threatened.
• Beekeeper will open a representative sampling for grower's inspection, if requested, at earliest convenience. No other person may open the hives without beekeeper's permission, except an official New York State bee inspector. Hives may be moved only with beekeeper's permission, and under conditions agreed upon.
• Actual dates above are understood to be approximations. Grower shall contact beekeeper 4 to 7 days in advance of actual bloom dates, as determined by weather, planting dates, etc. Often there is a rush of growers, all wanting bees at the same time. If bees can be placed in advance, please initial _________.
• Grower shall give at least 48 hours notice for removal. Lacking this, beekeeper shall remove the bees at his convenience, after the blossom period. In some cases, where conditions are suitable, and bees can be conveniently worked, bees are kept on the farm year around with mutual agreement.
• Hives shall be located for mutual convenience and the well being of the bees. Preferably the site(s) shall provide sun exposure and proximity to water. If possible, grower may want to provide pallets to keep bees off ground and a ground cover to prevent weeds from blocking hive entrances. Grower shall assist beekeeper, if he bogs on muddy farm roads. Bees should be out of sight of public areas and highways.
• Bees shall be healthy, queenright colonies, standardized to 5-6 frames of brood in one deep brood chamber or equivalent, and may or may not have supers. Grower shall notify beekeeper, if hives have poor flight patterns. Beekeeper will check, and promptly replace, if more than 5% of the colonies are queenless, have foulbrood disease, or have less than 5 frames of brood. Growers are requested, as much as possible, to avoid taking beekeeper on rough, rutted roads, as this can cause queen loss. Beekeeper shall not be responsible, if weakness is a result of pesticide damage, and pesticide misuse by grower (application in violation of bee protection instructions on the pesticide label) shall void the contract.
• Grower shall read and follow directions on pesticide labels pertaining to bees (as required by law), and wherever possible, shall encourage his neighbors to do likewise.

Liability:

Growers liability is limited to the fair market value of the bees and equipment, and shall apply fully in cases of violations of this contract or negligence on his part or farm employees, such as, but not limited to collisions with farm implements, fire, pesticide misuse, etc. Damages caused by factors outside grower's control, such as vandalism or theft by trespassers, bear loss, etc., shall be split 50-50 with beekeeper. Grower is responsible to notify beekeeper of damage or loss, upon discovery, and if he has knowledge of any human perpetrator, to provide the information he has. For the purpose of this contract, values are established as follows. Loss of bees with no damage to equipment $50. Loss of hive brood box, cover, and bottom board - $40. Each additional super - $20. If grower prefers bees to be removed immediately after bloom, please indicate date when bees are no longer needed. ______________________. If filled in, grower's liability ends 48 hours after noted date, except for willful acts.

Beekeeper's liability is limited to the price of the contract, and shall apply only in cases of violations of this contract, or negligence on his part. Because production is affected by many factors, no warrantee is expressed or implied concerning production of any crop.

Grower shall notify employees and other affected persons of the presence of the bees and the normal hazards of stinging. Grower shall assume responsibility for any problems that arise from stings. Beekeeper shall try to remove excessively mean colonies from pollination use, however, occasionally a colony requeens itself and becomes crossed with nasty wild bees. If a colony stings repeatedly without provocation, beekeeper shall replace it, upon notification.

Where applicable, grower is requested to notify field crews: 1) that bees are for pollination, not honey production, 2) that they are treated with pesticides and medications, and 3) that honey from these hives may be toxic as human food. (This also helps reduce thefts of honey frames, which weaken hives, and may cause starvation of the colonies.)

I hereby enclose my order and deposit. I have read the terms of this agreement and will abide by them.

______________________________________________ _________________________________

(Signature of Grower)   (Date)

I accept this order and have received deposit of ______ on the date of _____.

______________________________________________ _________________________________

Raymond J. Lackey Owner – Sweet Pines Apiary (Date)

Payment balance _________ received on _______ by ___________________________.

These bees are managed for best pollination effect, rather than honey production. If you like our service, tell your neighbor. If you have a problem, tell us. Thanks.

2007 RATES/COLONY (advance contract):

1-4 hives . . . . . . . $100.00; 5-10 hives . . . . . . . $90.00; >10 hives . . . . . . . $80.00

Last minute contracts may require additional fees. Distributed drop sites require a minimum of six (6) colonies per site. Full season special for two or more crops, same location: $35 additional, if paid at beginning of first pollination, otherwise, same as first crop, for each crop, paid at successive bloom start. A pollinating period is generally two to four weeks depending upon crop. Delivery is included within 50 miles of Bohemia. Smaller quantities of hives (<10) will not be contracted outside this core working area unless a larger contract in the area facilitates service. Call for prices and minimum order outside that range.

Recommended Minimum Colony Density per acre: Apples (1), Apricot ( 1), Berries-Cane (2-3), Cucurbits (2), Melons (2), Peaches (1/2), Pears (2), Plums (1), Strawberries (1), Sunflower (1).