# Pollination questions



## Level 4 (Feb 4, 2012)

Someone with say 75 hives wanting to send them to almonds, how would he go about it? Use a broker? If so how does that work?Thanks for your time in answering such silly basic questions.
Josh


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## hpm08161947 (May 16, 2009)

I only know about blueberries, melons, and squash.... here on the East coast, but since no one has answered your question..... I will tell you that at least to me... Almond pollination sounds more highly organized than what I am exposed to. I mean... I hear about people signing contracts way back in the fall. The quys that come back from CA each spring have some pretty interesting tales to tell... so yes... I would contact a broker - surely this is one way to start making some contacts..


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## habutti (Apr 20, 2008)

Level 4 said:


> Someone with say 75 hives wanting to send them to almondsJosh


I know some folks who send bees to almonds every season, but they move truckloads of 400+ hives. I'm not sure if they will even talk to you with 75 hives, but here is how I would go about it. Find someone in my locality who sends bees and partner with him. You will share all cost proportionally as well as revenue. You will have to fly out there to keep an eye on your 75 hives. Run the numbers and make sure they make sense at that level. But wait, you are local never mind...glean what is useful to you out of this post.


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## Level 4 (Feb 4, 2012)

Thanks for the ideas fellas. How many hive do you need before a grower will deal with you directly? 500? 1000? 2000?


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## Almondralf (Jun 20, 2011)

There are a lot of smaller almond growers out here, who have maybe 20,30 or 40 acres. So they only need like 30 to 80 hives. So if you are a small beekeeper you want to look for the small almond grower. You find them through craigslist, knocking on doors, word of mouth or through other beekeepers. 
Going with a broker would work too, but the question is how many hives you need before the broker will deal with you = not the grower.


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

As a person with 80 hives it is tough to get there. You need a truck load I have found. I was trying to go this year and could not find a contract that would work for us. The farmers wanted 7 frames of bee's and mine just are not quite there yet.


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## Level 4 (Feb 4, 2012)

Ok thanks guys. I'm a year out or so. Keep on building.
Josh


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