# bee brokers



## queenking (Oct 24, 2007)

does any one know any bee brokers phone numbers. thanks


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## Skinner Apiaries (Sep 1, 2009)

Look up lyle johnston, he's fairly easy to get up with.


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## queenking (Oct 24, 2007)

would like name and numbers please


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## simplyhoney (Sep 14, 2004)

Long way form NY to California


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

W/ all of the orchards around you I would think that your best bet would be knocking on doors. The bigger pollinators sometimes let the smaller accounts go because of the inconvenience.

How many hives will you have ready for pollination in late April 2011? How many would you want to take to Maine for blueberries? A pickup load? A semi load? The bigger the load the better the return.


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## queenking (Oct 24, 2007)

i have a semi load and maybe more


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## alpha6 (May 12, 2008)

Couple of things to keep in mind. Get with someone who has graded hives before so you know they will make the cut. A good grader can tell by looking under the cover and the weight if they will do well come spring. Lyle recommends re-queening every year. Little late to re-queen, but just so you know what they are looking for. Lastly, find a good trucker THAT HAS AND KNOWS HOW TO MOVE BEES. It is a long trip from NY and if you get some knucklehead who doesn't know anything about moving bees you could really take a hit just getting them there. If you land an contract PM me and I can fill you in on how to inspect your pallets BEFORE you get them on the truck so your load doesn't get stopped for an extended period at the inspection station in CA and a couple of other useful tips. 

Good luck.


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## Skinner Apiaries (Sep 1, 2009)

Hey alpha, could you PM me some of those tips?


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

So again having a good trucker and spending a little extra can come into play as the good ones know ways around them bug stops.


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

"to sqkcrk"

Are you suggesting you are a broker for blueberries in Maine? Just curious.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

BMAC said:


> Are you suggesting you are a broker for blueberries in Maine? Just curious.


I'm suggesting that I am curious about what the person expects from doing pollination money wise. Were I a broker I would pm him/her and make arraingments.


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## Skinner Apiaries (Sep 1, 2009)

lol, the broker's gotta make cash too. Plus, they build up good on apples


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

The broker does have to make money too. Absolutely. I know they make good money in Ca on the almonds. In fact the few years my hives went out there they were being rented at 150 a colony and after transportation and broker fee I was seeing about 100 per colony. Sometimes they built well on almonds and sometimes they didnt. Personally a 100 hive contract is about the same as running them on honey with less work involved. However at 50 or 60 or 65 a colony I would rather leave them on the flow and let the broker go find another keeper. Apples are a little different as not much goes on then. Not sure about blueberries and other fruits/veggies here in the north east. However I did have a veggie farmer down by NYC show interest in renting my bees for his veggies down there. Well now that is during the honey flow and I didnt show interest back.


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## queenking (Oct 24, 2007)

this is my first year at this so im trying to get things rolling early


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## Skinner Apiaries (Sep 1, 2009)

Oh, you can make a hundred bucks in honey by march 15th-30th, in New York? Im extremely skeptical. You can do both. For that matter, Almonds are done in time to meet alot of major flows... even in florida... Do both, I say. And make splits. Maximize profits. When there's no flow and pollination is available, go for it. jmho


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

queenking said:


> im trying to get my name out there


And if I found someone who wanted to rent bees from you, what name would I give them? queenking from wolcott? Or what?


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## queenking (Oct 24, 2007)

you can tell them my name is fred ferris at ferrishoneyfarm. i do have my dba


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Nice to meet you fred. See ya at the meeting?


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## queenking (Oct 24, 2007)

what meeting


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

Skinner Apiaries said:


> Oh, you can make a hundred bucks in honey by march 15th-30th, in New York? Im extremely skeptical. .....


No you missed a little what I was talking about. Almonds are a whole other ball game. I was talking about big veggy farmers up here wanting bees for whatever they are growing which does happen during the honey flow. Now that I live in NY I personally am not going to send my bees to Almonds any more. I do like the south for making my splits though. I run my bees to south Georgia for splits now. Which is very nice.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Empire State Honey Producers Association meeting in Syracuse,NY on Nov. 19 and 20. See Thread on that topic. or go to eshpa.org.


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

We will see you there Mark. I will be the guy from sharon springs late 30s..

Brian McDonald
www.olemcdonald.com


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## Countryboy (Feb 15, 2009)

Try going to the meeting. You will likely get more and better contacts there than to ask for random names on here.

If you have 500 hives to contract out, spending a couple days mingling with local beekeepers should be a good investment in your time.


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## Beeslave (Feb 6, 2009)

Google it, 
>>>info on almond pollination brokers<<<

http://www.google.com/search?q=almo...ion+broker&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=cac716aade6fa416


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## Bens-Bees (Sep 18, 2008)

Are there any brokers that deal with states/crops OTHER than CA almonds? I know almonds are where the big money is, but for those of us that prefer to stay out of almonds and closer to home are there any brokers to help match us up with growers needing pollination work done?


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

I had spoke directly with the _(veggie)_ farmer and I would pass his information to you but I had no interest and didnt keep his info. sorry. Why so worried about contracts? If you really want that then you should goto the Almonds. I can pass you my old brokers info for the Almonds but grading is tough and your bees can go backwards pretty quick or they can be stolen.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I've never worked w/ a broker. What do they do for you? Once they get you work in a grove or orchard or veggie patch, do you deal directly w/ the grower from then on, or always through the broker, paying them a fee? How do things usually work?


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

I dont know how things usually work but I would drop my bees off at my brokers yard in Oklahoma and he would set up all trucking and load the bees, unload the bees in CA place them on the almond fields, work with the grader, load them back on the truck, unload back in Texas where I used to do splits and pay all trucking. He would then pay me my money owed. Like I said not sure if thats normal but thats what we worked out. We also did our splits together in Texas.


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## Skinner Apiaries (Sep 1, 2009)

BMAC, yea I agree, pollination, serious pollination, during a honey flow is a waste. Honey is so easy to sell. Ya'll are closer to bigger money too, i.e. NYC, etc. Almonds is really the home run of beekeeping, it's becoming quite obvious the needed fall-winter maintenance is... unsual, high, and going to require a few years of experimenting. I also hate big moves, you lose queens at a time when there is no weather for requeening.


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## queenking (Oct 24, 2007)

if any wants to get a hold of me you can reach me at (315)594-1069. my name is fred ferris of ferrishoneyfarm out of new york


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

Skinner Apiaries said:


> BMAC, yea I agree, pollination, serious pollination, during a honey flow is a waste. Honey is so easy to sell. Ya'll are closer to bigger money too, i.e. NYC, etc. Almonds is really the home run of beekeeping, it's becoming quite obvious the needed fall-winter maintenance is... unsual, high, and going to require a few years of experimenting. I also hate big moves, you lose queens at a time when there is no weather for requeening.


Though I am not sending any of my honey to the city yet yes that is a HUGE market. When we moved to NY I decided CA is too far to move the bees. Bad enough or the 2 day trip to Ga for wintering and splitting. I think I just assume sell splits and run honey. Though I have to admit I will be servicing a few apple orchards locally come spring time.


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## bhfury (Nov 25, 2008)

There's no work in California, so I would stay home


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## queenking (Oct 24, 2007)

maybe i should find someone that is willing to take my bees south and split them.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

You'd be better off taking them south yourself and splitting them. I have hardly ever heard of someone taking someone elses bees south, splitting them and then getting them back north where that worked out well for both parties. Personally I have enuf to do w/ my own bees, which would mean that someone elses bees would come second and therefore not get done as soon or as well.

Do it yourself and you only have yourself to blame, or credit, for how they turn out.


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

You know Fred, Mark makes a very good point. I can also tell you are pretty anxious to expand your horizons. Personally I dont see anything wrong with a few beeks getting together and collectively working the spring splitting duties. However everything needs to be spelled out ahead of time so its real clear about the arrangements. I think Skinner Apiaries puts it quite well with his signature.


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## queenking (Oct 24, 2007)

i can take 50 south to split for next year. if i do it right i should be able to make at least 100 nukes off 50


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

There is alot of South to take bees to. I her Georgia is a good place to winter bees. And FL has citrus honey in the spring.


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## Jim 134 (Dec 1, 2007)

queenking said:


> i have a semi load and maybe more



Why not come to New England for Cranberries and Blueberries :s



BEE HAPPY Jim 134


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

Not that easy to get contracts up here. Still looking for a good broker in New England. Not that easy to get on the list for Maine blueberries IMO.


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## BMAC (Jun 23, 2009)

camero7 said:


> Not that easy to get contracts up here. Still looking for a good broker in New England. Not that easy to get on the list for Maine blueberries IMO.


So then do you plan to run your bees to the Almond gold rush?


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

No, too many problems for me. Maybe if they ever get a handle on CCD and the virus issues, I'll go. Right now my biggest problem is varroa and it's under control. Just honey and some apples right now. Not doing pumpkins this year, bees didn't do well on the field I pollinated.


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## queenking (Oct 24, 2007)

maybe il just keep my hives up here in ny agin this winter and hope that we dont get a cold winter


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