# Shortage of bees in almonds?



## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

In my area there's plenty available on CL, but we're not the heart of it.


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

When brokers begin looking....there's yer sign


----------



## AstroZomBEE (Aug 1, 2006)

I have been recieving more than my usual calls for bees to ship to CA as well.


----------



## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Must be regional or people not wanting to move wherever people are needing them right now.


----------



## Nick Noyes (Apr 28, 2005)

I have gotten 3 cold calls in the last two days looking for bees. All combined they needed 4,000 hives and these are beekeepers I have never met.
I would say there will be a shortage.


----------



## Flyer Jim (Apr 22, 2004)

JRG13 said:


> Must be regional or people not wanting to move wherever people are needing them right now.


Don't believe everything you see on cl. I'm about 35 miles from Sac. That cl add is there year round.

I have had 2 calls looking for 200-250 hives where others have backed out of contracts, and I didn't have them.


----------



## LSPender (Nov 16, 2004)

I am running a special this month, deal to end in 30 days. 

I can & will deliver bee boxes with frames, stacked 2 high (Double) on 4 way pallets with lids included, to any almond orchard for $ 100 per double. up to 3,000 available. Delivery will only be made between the hours of 9 AM & 4 PM daily with a half hour for lunch @ noon daily as per ca labor laws, payment will be in CASH only! you will not receive a invoice, and these boxes will also improve the bottom line because you will not have to pay a 3rd party bee inspector. And yes each box will average 8 frames, with an additional inside feeder to boot.


----------



## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

Larry, now THAT was funny!


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Larry: If you could come up with the lids and pallets why not split them, you will still have an 8 frame average and double your gross.


----------



## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

pahvantpiper said:


> Had a broker call me this morning looking for bees, of which I have no extras. I haven't talked to this broker in several years. She asked if I knew of anyone with extra bees. Sign of things to come?



Sure is... The calls began last week. Keep on keeping on. 

Had an unbiased outsider who is related to beekeeping and is what I would call a "know it all" in this industry tell me this morning that a pallet is worth $800 right now.

As I got off the freeway coming home from finally grading this afternoon I saw that the final sticks being thrown in on another 150 acre plant. (new ground) Another 80 will be going in a mile from home in a couple of days. Lots of new acres going in as if bees will be available.. And all I can think is............ Well ya.......... at way more than $150.


The real test will be when the growers who need bees call and are willing to pay " going" rate for all the 4"s and 5's we culled out. 

Bloom is late and so are the bees in brooding up cause of the cold. 4-6 days behind last year at this point on the trees and I'm not commenting on the brood. All I can say is FINALLY!! and are the queens on a terror now.


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

jim lyon said:


> If you could come up with the lids and pallets why not split them


Well said Mate.


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Honey-4-All said:


> and are the queens on a terror now.


Yep, give them about another week to ten days and start shaking.


----------



## Darren Cox (Feb 3, 2013)

The supply of hives is very tight. My phone has been busy fielding calls and questions from regulators to chem industry. They really want to know why the train wrecked for many beekeepers. Drought, Pestilence and Pesticide (DPP). Well at least we have moved past PPB


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Darren: Thanks for the insight and welcome to Beesource. Always nice to have input from someone with a lot of experience. DPP, yeah that is a good way of explaining things but I have seen evidence that PPB is still alive and well.


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

jim lyon said:


> I have seen evidence that PPB is still alive and well.


lol... That's the gods honest truth right their mate.
Hows that Texas weather Jimmy?


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

This is heaven here after surviving 30 to 40 below wind chills in South Dakota a few days ago. Gonna be 70 today. Yeah 70, now that's a super Sunday. :thumbsup:


----------



## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

jim lyon said:


> after surviving 30 to 40 below wind chills in South Dakota


As my dad was fond of saying...'you get up into the Dakotas and the only thing between you and the North Pole is a barbed wire fence'. 
And from that, I reckon those Canadians don't even have the barbed wire fence.


----------



## greenbeekeeping (Feb 13, 2003)

70 sure sounds nice Jim..... Been some cold ones here in Wisconsin too. I'm ready for some warm weather.


----------



## benstung (Mar 20, 2011)

Interested where you are seeing this PPB? 
also how about a few examples?


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Hey I'm just having a little fun. Don't we all have a few Homer Simpson "dohs" every once in a while?


----------



## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

""'you get up into the Dakotas and the only thing between you and the North Pole is a barbed wire fence'.
And from that, I reckon those Canadians don't even have the barbed wire fence. 




YOU GOT HER ALL, the barbed wire, the oil, the water, the canola,....even most of that honey has disappeared


----------



## LSPender (Nov 16, 2004)

Yes , Jim some fun, but lets ask a better question, What has changed in the recent 15 years. Let us not forget that 20 to 30 years ago the ( for lack of better term ) Homer Simpson beek could do extremly well making money as a beek. Beeks would actauly kill off 50 to 90 % of stock in the fall, go south for the winter, then in spring take 1000 hives & turn into 8000 for summer honey production and make an Incredible honey crop, take the winter off to go hunting.

The reality of beekkeeping has changed and I firmly believe the Pesticide & chemical elements in our agriculture industry has had a drastic effect.

I could go on for pages but hope this helps other beeks to start looking around, find out what has changed in the business environmernt of the farming industry.


----------



## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

irwin harlton said:


> YOU GOT HER ALL, the barbed wire, the oil, the water, the canola,...


It was simply a tongue-in-cheek way of saying it gets stinkin' cold up that way...i.e. there doesn't seem to be anything blocking the flow of arctic air. No offense intended....


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

If you knew Irwin, his tongue was in his cheek also, LOL

>>Canadians don't even have the barbed wire fence

free grazers, dont need a fence if there is nobody to push you back, lol


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

beemandan said:


> . No offense intended....


None ever taken at this end Dan, enjoy All the post, I don't agree with some, but that's what makes the world go around. Shoot, if we had all good keepers the almond price would be in the tank. 

P.S. almond prices north of $165


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

LSPender said:


> Yes , Jim some fun, but lets ask a better question, What has changed in the recent 15 years. Let us not forget that 20 to 30 years ago the ( for lack of better term ) Homer Simpson beek could do extremly well making money as a beek. Beeks would actauly kill off 50 to 90 % of stock in the fall, go south for the winter, then in spring take 1000 hives & turn into 8000 for summer honey production and make an Incredible honey crop, take the winter off to go hunting.
> 
> The reality of beekkeeping has changed and I firmly believe the Pesticide & chemical elements in our agriculture industry has had a drastic effect.
> .


Ive never done the 8:1 program, 2 maybe 3 to one is more our style. Getting a little tougher for the Homer Simpsons of the world to make it though. There are a lot of things going on in bee hives pretty difficult to clearly see the delineation between ppb and dpp. I am nor singling anyone out as a poor beekeeper by any means but the fact does remain that some beekeepers seem to fare better than others year in and year out. Perhaps it's the territory and what they are exposed to perhaps its beekeeper manipulations or lack of them. I don't have a clue, I don't even know how I might be described but I will sure admit to a few Homer Simpson moments.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

hey, we are mearly managing bugs in a box, 
we cant be that hard on ourselves


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

LSPender said:


> , then in spring take 1000 hives & turn into 8000 for summer honey production take the winter off to go hunting.
> The reality of beekkeeping has .


Larry, I agree with you Beekeeping has changed, most keepers don't put enough feed, labor, resources into there bees and as a result they use to go from 1:8 now they go 8:1.

I use to like to fish & hunt as well, even go to a winter bee meeting like the one in San Diego this year, BUT the bees now need my attention 12 months a year. I can say this with out question, the keepers that are really keeping on top of there bees seem to be doing fine over all.


----------



## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

"""It was simply a tongue-in-cheek way of saying it gets stinkin' cold up that way...i.e. there doesn't seem to be anything blocking the flow of arctic air. No offense intended.... """"ya it gets cool up here ,the other day it was minus 45 C with the wind chill......poor bees

No offense taken beemandan.......just keep that ol American economy peddling along,which should keep that good old American dollar high in the sky value.......us Canucks will sell you anything you want including bees for almonds.......not that we would be able to do that legally but where there is a will there is the way.


----------



## benstung (Mar 20, 2011)

Yes Kieth we here what you are saying and totally agree. 
I mean my family has been more than successful keeping bees as their sol living since 1974. 
We do great and have more than enough time off. 
My worries are that every year it will get worse. There are so many clues telling us something is wrong.

What larry is saying is that it has obviously gotten more difficult to be consistent at this profession. 
I dont know if you understand that you cant feed bees when they dont need it. Also cant supplement pollen when the bees are gathering pollen that is not as good as it used to beeeeeeee. 

everyone and everything needs nourishment and a place to forage. 
As the years pass there is less and less good forage land.
I am young and want to be able to do this for many years to come.

also got 2 calls in the last week from people looking for bees for almonds.


----------



## benstung (Mar 20, 2011)

o yeah and Keith how would you know what we all put into our bees? 


Lets talk labor, how many bee yards do you have? how many employees do you have?
not enough labor my a##. 

Do you survive financially on only a honey crop and pollination income?

or do you get rich selling NUTRA BEE


----------



## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

To answer LSpender, besides the latest and greatest pathogens, I blame the plants. Something has chnaged in the plants in the last 10-15 years. When you saw fields of flowers, the bees made honey. Now, you never know what will happen. Could it be weather? I doubt it. Side effect of a agriculture chemical? Quite possible. Acid Rain? possible, but not likely, we are on Limestone.

Crazy Roland


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Fields of flowers equates to honey here, especially if it rains at the right times


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

I think we may be over analyzing this a bit too much. In regards to the current bee supply available for Almonds this year the question is really what has changed since last year or the year before, which were both years when there were enough bees to go around. #1 on my list is the most severe drought since 1956 and it cut right through the area where most bees spend the summer. #'s 2 and 3 in no particular order are most likely the unusually early spring which resulted in an unusually long brooding season together with the unavailability of (ahem) product A for mite control. Yes I do think the change in farming practices is a contributing factor as well but it's difficult to make the case that things really changed much in one year.


----------



## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

Excellent summation, Jim.
I concour!


----------



## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Roland said:


> When you saw fields of flowers, the bees made honey.


Climate/environment/plant changes are surely possibilities. But we wouldn't want to overlook the health of our bees. Even the best beekeepers' bees are still, in my opinion, more heavily parasitized than those 10 - 15 years ago. Faced with the same field of flowering plants, again in my opinion, less vigorous bees will produce less honey.
Countless possibilities........


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

benstung said:


> o yeah and Keith how would you know what we all put into our bees?
> Do you survive financially on only a honey crop and pollination income?


What a posy post that was#32, hope you didn't waste to much time on that.
Ben, I will give you a little run down on what I do as to your question "financially survive"
1) shaking bees this [email protected] $30.00lb
2) almonds 3000 hives in
3) shaking bees after almonds @ $12lb
4) move some bees like to your state of TX Ben, last year and did well with honey avg
5) Ok, I will stop at (5) it is now the month of June & those bees of last year at this time grossed $480 per hive, you would have to be brainless not to make money in this maket.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

bit off topic but love picking beekeepers brains,

Keith, you shake while in the almonds, and then after, 
making up packages I presume, 
to relieve swarming pressures I presume,

Do I presume correctly ?

I think I should migrate south for the winter and buy some of those shook bees,


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Ian, I'm shaking RIGHT NOW, I have the bees in semi load lots, so shaking is easy & fast, will be moving to the almonds after shaking is done. I shake in bulk cages (30-35lb).


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Keith, I got to get me some of those bees !

I got a bee addiction problem , LOL

say man , you would nt have a camera on hand, got to give me some pics !
Im sitting in a snow bank , cold feet, cold hands, wind whistling overhead. 
I need some beekeeping pics to cheer me up!


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

I will be starting at 8:00 am today, Yes I will take a few pics today for you guys up in the snow.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

cheers !


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Ian, here are your pics of what's going on today...warm wishes.
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s35/CNHoney/P1010116_zps8d18c10e.jpg
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s35/CNHoney/P1010115_zpsc1afbf71.jpg
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s35/CNHoney/P1010114_zpsd309b81b.jpg
http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s35/CNHoney/P1010113_zps005857b3.jpg


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

ha ha ha ha ha 

cheers Keith , I love it! Thanks for making my day. 

Love the scenery, looks so green and pleasant. That is what beekeeping is all about !
got to get to California . . .


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Ian said:


> got to get to California . . .


You come this way you be sure to drop me a line. Not all is green here in Calif, some still haven't heard about NUTRA BEE.


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Nice looking bees Keith, can't say as much about the beekeeper though. Hey what's that machine waaaay off in the distance? Ole Benstung is a good guy I hope he knows you're just fooling with him.


----------



## swarm_trapper (Jun 19, 2003)

Thanks for the Pics Keith (love your sense of humor lol) I always like seeing other guys operations. One question how are you feeding? open feeding?


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

This is where Im at today,

http://s1277.beta.photobucket.com/u.../Wintershedbees/109_0064_zpsd0a191df.jpg.html

If I used photobucket correctly you should see my bees sitting cozy in my wintershed, and my kids sitting cozy on a pile of snow, !
Starting to loose places to push the snow !


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

swarm_trapper said:


> One question how are you feeding? open feeding?


Nick, the feedesr are in the brood nest in the bottom box now, we flop'em in the fall, the bees take the syrup better than having the feeder at the top below the lid. We will flop them back up top at the end of almonds when it's warmer. I know, some will say it's slow, but we feel are way produces the bees populations that were looking for.
I know Jimmy, I wouldn't win any awards for looks... I'm figgin toast right now.


----------



## Nick Noyes (Apr 28, 2005)

Is your favorite color blue ? If so do you think bees do better in blue boxes ?


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

jim lyon said:


> Hey what's that machine waaaay off in the distance? .


Yeah know Jimmy, some guys down south by the name of Tony's Noyes ( maybe even related to Nick)  wanted some sub so another freind (I've got two) wanted sub also so I said meet me in the bee yard I'll bring the sub & lift. What I would give to be stuck in a snow bank somewhere.


----------



## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

Keith, are those your MegaBee hives? :lookout:


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

NO, the triple's would bee. Those are just the double deeps.

P.S. MegaBee.... ole sly pouch.


----------



## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

Hey Keith, thanks for the green pic. today. We got 6 inch. of the white stuff today and just sitting on bee source all day waiting for spring.:digging::kn:


----------



## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

Pic's are nice, but the videos are better........make my mouth water, must be part bear http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETLi3Jquor4


----------



## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

Hey Keith you got 12 thumbs up for that video? I thought you just had 2 friends.. BTW the bees are bringing in the real stuff down here in east Texas the past few days, it's like early March down here right now.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

irwin harlton said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETLi3Jquor4


wow you guys feed a lot of sub


----------



## benstung (Mar 20, 2011)

nice photos and good looking bees, thats the way they should look


----------



## Jacobee (Dec 27, 2011)

i like photo number 2, i will say that i dont know jack s..t but we fed nutra bee to many hives that we thought were going to die and they are gang busters now!


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Nick Noyes said:


> do you think bees do better in blue boxes ?


Nick, I think bees do better when NUTRA BEE is inside them.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Keith Jarrett said:


> You come this way you be sure to drop me a line. Not all is green here in Calif,


My dream vacation would be to head out to the almond groves for a few weeks to see all the action. I would even work for someone just to be in the midst of it! Lots happening in Cali 
But its so hard to pull up anchor from the farm, if Im not digging through hives, Im running a field tractor or calving cows

maybe someday, maybe someday


----------



## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Ian said:


> But its so hard to pull up anchor from the farm, if Im not digging through hives, Im running a field tractor or calving cows


Puts me in mind of the Dodge truck Super Bowl Ad...pretty catchy....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sillEgUHGC4&feature=player_embedded


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Speaking from the grave, sent shivers down my spine 
Use to listen to him every noon hour

Love that one !


----------



## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

Ian said:


> Use to listen to him every noon hour


me too


----------



## beemandan (Dec 5, 2005)

Ian said:


> Speaking from the grave, sent shivers down my spine


The man had a way with words, didn't he? Seemed a bit sneaky to co-opt them for a truck commercial but it was still Paul Harvey.


----------



## irwin harlton (Jan 7, 2005)

do you think bees do better in blue boxes ?

Keith I noticed you are almost completely color co-ordinated, blue boxes, blue coveralls, blue syrup tank......handy with a welder too by the looks of the tank
Now after all these platitudes can we talk about a discount on my Nutra bee order...how about you eat the freight


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Im in on that


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

Ian & Irwin, you sure you live up in Canada, your sounding more American to me.

Irwin, yes, I used to weld in my early days it comes in handy when building syrup tanks,wax tanks, pollen sub blending tanks & so on. I have been lucky to have gotten these gifts.


----------



## grozzie2 (Jun 3, 2011)

Ian said:


> This is where Im at today,


Thank you for posting that shot Ian, it's wonderful. Wife is from the prairies. At times we get into the mode of 'maybe we should pull up stakes and move out to the praries'. That photo of your kids in the snowbank, was just what the doctor ordered, cured that talk for this year 

Our bees were flying yesterday, and, it looks like the hazelnuts are gong to start anytime now. A couple of the hives are brooding seriously, I peeked inside on monday. If this weather keeps up, we will have supers on for the maples, and carving out some splits, before you guys are taking them out of the shed.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

grozzie2 said:


> Our bees were flying yesterday, and, it looks like the hazelnuts are gong to start anytime now. A couple of the hives are brooding seriously, I peeked inside on monday. If this weather keeps up, we will have supers on for the maples, and carving out some splits, before you guys are taking them out of the shed.


hmmmmmmmmmm, LOL


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

grozzie2 said:


> Our bees were flying yesterday, and, it looks like the hazelnuts are gong to start anytime now. A couple of the hives are brooding seriously, I peeked inside on monday. If this weather keeps up, we will have supers on for the maples, and carving out some splits, before you guys are taking them out of the shed.


hmmmmmmmmmm, LOL


----------



## grozzie2 (Jun 3, 2011)

Ian said:


> hmmmmmmmmmm, LOL


Well, if you dont make it to California, but do get out here to the island sometime, I'm pretty sure there's a few extra plates in the cupboard to set at the dinner table.


----------

