# which state is best to home base if pollinating almonds?



## rookie2531 (Jul 28, 2014)

I want to someday grow and pollinate the almonds and even give the oranges a go, but want to move from there to the next bloom and so on. So where do most end at. Which state are most those bees in, say November?


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## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

Kentucky.


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Not Vermont.


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## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I would think Vermont with its wonderful well watered summer climate and long heavy flows would be just the place for people to warehouse vast numbers of colonies while waiting for the next pollination contract.


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

Lots of options:

If you'd like dead bees... The state of depression.
If you want live bees. The state of them being accessible enough where you can care for them. 
If you want live bees...... not in the state of being across the fence from someone else's yard.
If you want low travel bills. the state of Home



From the way your question is asked I'm going to guess you have few bees, little experience, and an eagerness to cash in on the gold rush

If your hoping to "go and see the elephant" you might want to start small.

1. Pair up with someone else
2. Go to a convention or two and meet someone who has a reputation of either caring or putting them in for someone else.
( this will give you a smaller cut up front but a larger bottom line when its all said and done with lots lower than a few loads. ) 

Your primary concern should be good and healthy bees. If you have those on the first of February they always sell themselves. Deadouts and duds won't pay cra$$.


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## Beregondo (Jun 21, 2011)

If you want low travel expenses,
moderate temperatures, abundant forage, no hassles crossing the border into California, 
I'd go out on a limb and say northern or north central California.

But what do I know?
I'm not a pollinator.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Vance G said:


> I would think Vermont with its wonderful well watered summer climate and long heavy flows would be just the place for people to warehouse vast numbers of colonies while waiting for the next pollination contract.


MT

Actually it probably doesn't matter all that much. I know guys that consider their home State their Base, but their bees don't spend much time there. They get moved from one State to another regularly through out the year. Or, at least some of them do.

The beekeepers I know probably don't spend 4 or 5 months per year in their Home Base Home.


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

sqkcrk said:


> The beekeepers I know probably don't spend 4 or 5 months per year in their Home Base Home.


Shuffling down the "fast lane" often has a hidden charge that is higher than I would like to have to consider as an option in life. 

The price one pays for the "big bucks" often include big divorce settlements and kids that bounce off to drugs, prostitutes, and all those other things that I wouldn't trade for all of the money in the world. Seen more than my share of the elite "big 100" beekeepers in the US go down this path. Most would take all that money and toss it in the trash for a "do over" if it was possible.inch:


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## JSL (Sep 22, 2007)

H4A,

That is very well said! Migratory beekeeping is really hard on beekeepers and their families, perhaps commercial beekeeping in general. Being well grounded and having a great spouse sure seems to go a long way, but there is no easy path in any ag. business.


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## rookie2531 (Jul 28, 2014)

I do appreciate all responces. I used to have a job where I traveled a lot. Gone 2-4 weeks and home a few days or a week and back out. I know what traveling job brings. I spent about ten years on the road. I wouldn't mind doing it again, only this time, the profits for me, not someone else. But honey-4-all is right. I have little bees and high ambition. Just getting into it and not even a sideliner yet. But you never know what is next, and I am trying to gain as much knowledge as possible.


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## high rate of speed (Jan 4, 2008)

Our wives are the strongbacks of migratory outfits.like h4a stated. No money in the world is worth destroying a family. Well said Phil.


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## Jacobee (Dec 27, 2011)

I am chiming in a little late but wow, well said. honey for all. you must have the gift of gab because this person actually took some of your advise and at least pondered it a little bit.

just send your bees and they will send the gold bricks back to you.


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## BeeGhost (May 7, 2011)

For almonds,California, forsure, only need to travel in state. How ever, good luck getting near the citrus groves here as a lot of old school comm guys already have dibs. I would check with bee keepers in Florida as well, im sure it must be tough to get in there as well.


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## BeeGhost (May 7, 2011)

Honey-4-all is absolutely correct. Some things are not worth all the money in the world, like losing your family bond. That is why I dropped out of back ground when I was going through recruitment for Deputy Sheriffs, it would be a great gig with plenty of pay, but I would miss out on important kid events, sports and yes, I just might not come home someday. I told my BG investigator the circumstance of my dropping out and he concurred with my decision. Im not rich in the bank, but im rich in life and have been there for my family a lot more than my real dad ever was. 

I do the bee keeping thing as a sideliner project, I have enough hives that it is easy enough to manage without turning into a second job, yet it still makes a little bit of coin to do a few extra things with the family.


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## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

Keep the posts civil and on topic OR DON'T POST!!.


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