They should be moved into the orchard at 10 to 25 percent bloom. For cucumbers and other cucurbits, bees should be moved to the field when the first female flowers appear, not before. Place the bees in a single group for small fields. Bees seem to work better upwind from their hives than downwind, so it is probably worthwhile to locate more colonies on the downwind side of the field or orchard than on the side from which the wind blows. Bees need a nearby source of water such as a farm pond or a stock tank with cork or wooden floats on which they can land.
Water is important in the early spring for brood rearing and later for cooling the hives.
In fruit pollination the bees benefit from full sun and shelter from the wind. Later in the year, some afternoon shade is helpful. Contracts for honey bee pollination services should be a regular part of the business when more than a few hives are involved. Contracts prevent problems that may arise from misunderstanding, and they serve to emphasize the obligations and rights of both grower and beekeeper. Contracts should include provisions relating to pesticide usage, colony standards and the rights of the grower to examine the colonies, rights of access by the beekeeper, pollination fees and time of payment, and a statement about the timing of movements of bees to and from the crop.