A pollination contractor doesn't just own bees — they rent foraging power to growers by the acre. This simulation models a single orchard block: pallets of hives are set at the field edge, and each colony's flying bees fan out to cover a "foraging disc" around the pallet. Growers pay a per-colony rental rate; the contractor's job is to hit a minimum stocking density and colony strength so every row of trees gets enough visits during the short bloom window.
Almond pollination is the largest managed pollination event on Earth — roughly two-thirds of all US commercial honeybee colonies are trucked into California's Central Valley each February, packed onto flatbed semis at night while the bees are clustered and calm.
A 3D orchard block where hive pallets are placed at your chosen stocking density, bees fan out to forage within a set flight range, and each row of trees is colour-coded by whether it falls inside enough coverage to be well pollinated.
Pollination adequacy depends on stocking density, forage range and colony strength together — not any one number alone. Sparse or weak hives leave gaps between coverage discs, and the trees in those gaps set fruit poorly regardless of how good the contract price looks.
Pick a crop, set the rental rate, then adjust stocking density, forage range and colony strength. Watch the coverage discs, canopy colours and bloom coverage percentage respond, and check block revenue and yield outlook update instantly.
Blueberries need far higher hive densities than tree fruit — bees find blueberry flowers less rewarding than competing wildflowers, so growers often stock 4–6 colonies per acre versus roughly 1–2 for almonds or apples.