Thanks for your interest in planting forage for honey bees!

Each "stack" of boxes is usually a bee hive, which is normally home to one honey bee colony. An area's carrying capacity varies greatly depending on the landscape, but 80 honey bee colonies in a single location is usually considered to be a lot. I'll also say that honey production can vary a lot from year to year based on floral nectar production. Many beekeepers in Michigan found 2023 to be a better year for honey production than 2024. Colony health and beekeeping management decisions can also affect honey production.

That said, it's great to add more pollinator habitat to the landscape! We compile many resources on large-scale pollinator planting. To get started, you may be interested in:

Case studies of individuals who have installed pollinator planting in Michigan:

• Prairie strips: A case study on improving farming yields and pollinator habitat by transforming unprofitable farmland into prairie
• Somewhere for the pollinators to go: A case study of establishing large-scale pollinator habitat
• Pocket of paradise: A second case study of establishing large-scale prairie planting
• A refuge for pollinators: A case study of establishing large-scale pollinator habitat on marginal farmland using federal funds

Resources for installation and maintenance of large-scale pollinator plots

• Pollinator Habitat Establishment & Management Guide (Bee & Butterfly Habitat Fund)
• Upper Midwest Pollinator Meadow Installation Guide (Xerces Society)
• Establishing Pollinator Meadow from Seed (Xerces Society)