# Almond pollination 2016



## Calibeekeeper (Mar 31, 2014)

I'm hearing a shortage of bees this year for almonds. Heard that theirs a lot of dead and quality is way down. Don't know how true I would like to hear how everyone's bees went through winter.


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## Dan the bee guy (Jun 18, 2015)

Didn't winter just start?


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

Here in the East we haven't had winter yet.:thumbsup:


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## Calibeekeeper (Mar 31, 2014)

In about a month almonds start blooming so everyone is going through bees right to get them ready for it


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## busy bee apiary (Aug 7, 2010)

Beautiful bees out in Visalia, Ca!


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## Calibeekeeper (Mar 31, 2014)

No one wants to tell how thier bees look after winter. Mine are fair at 1000 hives about 6 to 7 frame average


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## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

I'm sure glad we fed them up heavy in the fall.
Looks like it is going to be a soggy one.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Could be, put some floats on the pallets just to be safe!


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## Fusion_power (Jan 14, 2005)

Give the bees a few paddles too.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Actually it hasn't been too bad so far, but El Nino storms typically start now and can run well into April and May so we just have to wait and see what happens.


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## MNbees (May 27, 2013)

HarryVanderpool said:


> I'm sure glad we fed them up heavy in the fall.
> Looks like it is going to be a soggy one.


So your bees dont eat during the winter?


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## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

MNbees said:


> So your bees dont eat during the winter?


So you don't put an apostrophe in "don't"?


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

JRG13 said:


> Actually it hasn't been too bad so far, but El Nino storms typically start now and can run well into April and May so we just have to wait and see what happens.


The rain has not been that bad ( yet) but with the chilling hours and a fair share of weather that in the past has lead to bees going down hill instead of growing I would not doubt that there will be a lot of bees taking a dive here shortly if they have not already. The bee flight the past 6 weeks or so has been minimal at best.

If this keeps up there will be a lot of bees going in from NorCal that have not had all the inspections, feeding, and other love they might have gotten the past 3 or 4 years during this same time frame. 

FYI my gauge reads 8.75 since the season began. Long way to go to get to the average of 20 over the next 10 weeks ....


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## liljake83 (Jul 2, 2013)

Honey-4-All said:


> If this keeps up there will be a lot of bees going in from NorCal that have not had all the inspections, feeding, and other love they might have gotten the past 3 or 4 years during this same time frame.


This is exactly what I have been hearing I was talking to a couple of commercial guys the other day when I asked them how their bees looked for almonds they shrugged their shoulders "Haven't had a chance to go through them"they both said.


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## MNbees (May 27, 2013)

HarryVanderpool said:


> So you don't put an apostrophe in "don't"?


Vanderpump rules!

How do you have time to be on here? Shouldn't you be out strapping your hives to pallets?


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Talking about 3" total rain from these systems by Tuesday.


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

Another 1" plus yesterday here. Now just short of 10 inches of rain or about 50% of the years average.

Creek was 5 feet wide this morning. A week ago an ant could have jumped across without getting a toe wet. 

Temps are pretty warm so I went to check buds. Saw a few pre green tips heading out. Nons are now pushing. Winters also. Nothing on the California varieties so far.

With the temps forecasted to be in the high 50's through mid 60's things are going to keep a moving. Going to be a muck fest in the orchards soon if the warm weather and rain keep up.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Guess it's time to go make cuttings off the cherry varieties I need transfer from my old house...


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