# Can someone explaine how bringing bees to the almonds works.



## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

I'm not a commercial beekeeper. long way from it, I just have a few hives in the back yard. Don't be surprised if you don't get many answers, as you are basically asking someone for information it took them yrs to achieve. You are basically saying can I have this info free so I can compete with you. I don't know how others got into pollination, but if I wanted to go that route, I'd go work for a commercial guy to learn the ropes in hope that some day I could secure my own yards and contracts.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Joe, you can learn a lot by reading older threads in the Commercial forum. Note that many of your questions don't have only one specific answer. Like many other issues in beekeeping, the answer is, "_It depends ..._" 

Here is a couple of threads to get you started:
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?304813-Configuration-of-almond-bee-boxes
http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...-expenses-estimate-NEW-175-hives-please-input!

Don't get sidetracked by the arguments in any given thread - you are not selecting a vendor here, just getting a general idea of how things work. Note that some of those posts have links that you might find useful.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

An older diesel powered converted school bus may not be allowed into the republic of California because of emission standards. Secondly, they need to be able to inspect the hives for pests and cleanliness and they need a physical address where the hives will be unloaded if they feel closer inspection is needed.


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

I would call a bee hive contractor for almold pollination and discuss them. These people look for beekeepers to fill their pollination contracts with almond growers. They should be able to answer alot of your questions especially those related to logistics.


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## Joe Hillmann (Apr 27, 2015)

jim lyon said:


> An older diesel powered converted school bus may not be allowed into the republic of California because of emission standards. Secondly, they need to be able to inspect the hives for pests and cleanliness and they need a physical address where the hives will be unloaded if they feel closer inspection is needed.


Are the older diesels not allowed in CA or just not allowed to be registered there? And how old are you talking about? I am looking at something between a 1992 to a 2002. 

Either way that is something I will have to look into so thanks for pointing it out.


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## Joe Hillmann (Apr 27, 2015)

That was my thought but I figure since I am not looking at doing it for at least 4 years it probably isn't the best time to call them. Of course maybe contacting them earlier is better to prevent me from making mistakes in the meantime.

Edit: this was supposed to be a reply to Burns 375


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## rookie2531 (Jul 28, 2014)

Joe, I like your ideas. I couldnt see why other commercial beeks being rude and not helpful, if what I hear is true, that there just barely enough hives going there for their(almond growers) needs each year? Then others going there must be taking all they can, and if they don't have anymore hives to bring, then the only competition there is would be with themselves. And if, they won't give any advise to help you, because they had to learn the hard way and so should everyone else, is just bitterness.

Good luck, sounds like a fun adventure and a great weather vacation anyway.


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## JWChesnut (Jul 31, 2013)

Joe Hillmann said:


> 1. When?
> 
> 2. Who?
> 
> ...


Almonds bloom from about the 1st week of February to middle of March (all areas and varieties combined). Any one location will have a much shorter bloom period. The bloom comes on quick (and delivery for the bloom is a frantic affair). Rain can wash everything out, and the farmers want to bees out so they can spray fungicide immediately (or ignore the bees and spray the fungicide right over the hives). You need a winter yard to build them up out of the tule fog, and a location to pull them off to away from the fungicide.

In my end of the valley, the orchards are enormous -- hundreds of acres. Some Okie showing up with a rat-rod rewelded broke-down school bus would be looked askance - like some 1930's time machine gone haywire. Perhaps up north of Sacramento, some smaller acreage exists. 20 acres of almonds is way below the economic unit of scale, and the farmer trying to run a little patch is going to cash poor.

Any farmer dishing out hundreds of dollars for insects is going to want good colonies -- you need all of January in some semi-tropic paradise to goose them to perform. That part doesn't get paid.

I am sub-commercial, and for a number of years I had a sweet spot where I sold 1st year singles outright for cash in October to an Almond broker -- these came with warm and sunny wintering yards (for just that season). Not doing that anymore -- as the industry is more rationalized -- the brokers can pull in extra hives from Texas and Florida with a phone call. Hobby interest in beekeeping allows me to sell the same singles in June, for the same cash return. 

Folks looked at me as nuts for selling hives out-right, but cash in hand was worth more than rental cash after a 20% winter loss, transportation and feed costs, etc.


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## jim lyon (Feb 19, 2006)

rookie2531 said:


> Joe, I like your ideas. I couldnt see why other commercial beeks being rude and not helpful, if what I hear is true, that there just barely enough hives going there for their(almond growers) needs each year? Then others going there must be taking all they can, and if they don't have anymore hives to bring, then the only competition there is would be with themselves. And if, they won't give any advise to help you, because they had to learn the hard way and so should everyone else, is just bitterness.
> 
> Good luck, sounds like a fun adventure and a great weather vacation anyway.


To understand the almond pollination "game" fully you need to think of things from the standpoint of the grower and the broker who is providing him hives. They want pollination and they want a lot of it. Its much easier for them to deal with one beekeeper with 400 hives, particularly if they know who they are dealing with than to have to deal with 10 unknown beekeepers each with 40 hives. Lots of games are played by beekeepers trying to slip in some substandard bees and brokers hate getting calls from unhappy growers as much as they hate getting calls from beekeepers they suspect arent going to deliver what they promise. Its no secret society, bring them what they want, establish a reputation and things will get much easier in subsequent years.


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## delta valley farms (Aug 11, 2015)

Hey Joe call me at 870 635 1160 Scott I will be glad to answer questions for you. I am a commercial beekeeper and I contract bees in California. Be glad to help any way I can. My operation runs 10,000 colonies with about 7500 in production and I contract 11,000 hives in Cali


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