# Fall Migration to California.



## sdracer12 (Apr 17, 2009)

Just wondering how many of you commercials now have their bees in California for pollination, or how is the big move going so far? We went through the Cali bug check station on Friday early afternoon, and the gal there said they already had gotten 16 trucks through there just on Friday! I do know a couple of the larger operations are running behind this year.


----------



## Gregg (Dec 22, 2003)

Just sent them (1 load, 512 hives) last Friday, and they should've gotten unloaded last night.


----------



## redbee (Dec 29, 2005)

I have five load on the ground out there will load my last load tomorrow,a bit early this year but they needed feed and too cool in dakota to feed.


----------



## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

redbee said:


> but they needed feed and too cool in dakota to feed.


And sub too.


----------



## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

We hope the first load goes out the end of the week. Yeah, redbee, I hear ya about the too cool to feed, sasme story here. It has been too cool to do much of anything. Figure we will send them out and put the feed to them there. And yeah, that includes pollen sub, if a certain supplier will get back to me.
Sheri


----------



## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

And sub too
Up periscope!
Ernie


----------



## alpha6 (May 12, 2008)

I reckon we will start the first semi loads mid November. We are still pulling in from the out yards. Feeding has started. We figure the longer we can keep them here and pack the feed on the better in the yards in Calf. Better to send them heavy. John and Sheri have an advantage to most as they are out there with their bees and can tend to them.


----------



## Riverdog (Mar 15, 2009)

Going to early has not worked out for us. Were going to hold back a bit. One wise keeper said let the queens shut down... let the hive rest and then awake the spring beast just in time for almonds. Another keeper said it helps break the mite cycle too. Frankly I rather be there sooner than later but we have a new holding yard, but it still has grapes on it. It wont be available until mid Dec. Will be OK. Western Slope winters are mild. 4400 feet.
See Ya all down there.

Chad


----------



## Tom G. Laury (May 24, 2008)

Just remember, without a snowpack in the Sierras, it's going to be a disaster in the valley.


----------



## bhfury (Nov 25, 2008)

Tom G. Laury said:


> Just remember, without a snowpack in the Sierras, it's going to be a disaster in the valley.



Let pray and hope for the rain and snow in California.... God knows they need it!!!


----------



## pahvantpiper (Apr 25, 2006)

My hives are heavy so I'm leaving them put till the end of December or beginning of January. Last year I moved them the beginning of December and fed, fed, fed, and put pollen on and they just drifted and robbed and I lost 250 hives just sitting in the holding yard waiting to place.


----------



## LSPender (Nov 16, 2004)

Have heard on the street that a lot of trucks are currently available due that a lot of bee are dying off in the Dakota's. so far many operations are sending about half of what they planned.

I know I have lost a lot of hives the were sent to the dakots, in a 3 to 4 week time frame went from heros to zeros.

Record corn crop in north dakota this year, the type infussed with systemic neonicatoids.

That's what I know for now.


----------



## mbholl (Dec 16, 2007)

We saw 13 semis heading south on 395, Bishop area.


----------



## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

My hives are heavy so I'm leaving them put till the end of December or beginning of January. 
Good management choice!
Ernie


----------



## Skinner Apiaries (Sep 1, 2009)

13? wow. Someone's convoying.


----------



## bhfury (Nov 25, 2008)

mbholl said:


> We saw 13 semis heading south on 395, Bishop area.


I bet they were going to turn west on SR-58 towards Bakersfield...


----------



## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

13? wow. Someone's convoying. 
:scratch:

Did the outfit look and sound like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuyLTDAC7fE&feature=related

Ernie


----------



## LSPender (Nov 16, 2004)

Guess I am the only one losing beehives?, no one else has any imput on hive quality. Maybe everyone is to busy to look around and share info.

By the way , some where between 1200 and 2000 loads of bee hives on semi trucks come into CA every year.

I was hoping for additional info on hive quality to gauge the upcoming pollination season, I believe some people where out signing low dollar contract thinking there will be a glut of bees.

But, from what I see & hear a shortage is hear, unfortunatly.


----------



## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

LSPender said:


> Guess I am the only one losing beehives?, no one else has any imput on hive quality. Maybe everyone is to busy to look around and share info.


Larry I know it must be hard to imagine with the temps you have been having out there but it has been too cold to work bees in a whole bunch of the country. Hard to tell if you are losing bees if you can't even pop the lid without worrying about them getting snowed on. We can't wait to get them out there so we can get them fed. 


LSPender said:


> But, from what I see & hear a shortage is hear, unfortunatly.


I haven't heard any particulars, are you talkin shortage of bees or shortage of water or shortage of almond contracts or...? It sure _would_ be nice to have a better handle on how the bee supply is looking.
Sheri


----------



## K&L HONEY (Mar 21, 2008)

Been hearing of losses. Ours was alittle above normal through spring and summer. Lost more than I wanted. Fall loses were normal or below. We are trying to keep contracts close to last year will have to come down some.
Had a grower call me Wendsday somebody is offering him bees for $100.


----------



## redbee (Dec 29, 2005)

Snow in Wy.has close down I 80 for the last two days,I have a load of bees sitting in a truck stop for the last 48 hours,and was told there was 3 more there.


----------



## pahvantpiper (Apr 25, 2006)

Got my contract this week. $120 for 8 framers, $150 for 11 and above. That's a guaranteed minimum. If there is a shortage and the price goes up for bees, They'll pay more - it's in the contract. 

I lost more hives than expected over the summer. By fall though it had stopped and most hives looked good. Of course it's cold now and I won't be looking in them again until California in a couple months.


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

So what are y'all sending? Double stories? Story and a half? And how do you determine what the hive checkers will call 8 frames of bees or 10 frames? I heard that that was at 65 degrees temperature too.

I may have a chance to send some from SC. I'll be getting them ready in SC and someone else will be handling them in CA. Any advice?


----------



## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

So what are y'all sending? Double stories? Story and a half? 

You need to have a *copy of the contract *in hand so that you are knowlegeable about the obligations of the parties involved.
Some contracts require an 8 frame minimum and no averaging with *zero payment below the eight frames.*Some contracts will take a five fram minimum with an eight frame average.

So if you have a 5 framer sitting next to a 11 framer that = the following:
5 + 11 = 16
16/2 = 8 frames
You should feed a *lot* of pollen supplement or pollen substitute.
You may have to consider feeding syrup.

Regards,
Ernie


----------



## JohnK and Sheri (Nov 28, 2004)

redbee said:


> ...I have a load of bees sitting in a truck stop for the last 48 hours,and was told there was 3 more there.


One of them might be ours. We shipped first truck yesterday early am, 2nd this morning, 3rd tomorrow, last 2 go Tuesday. When the last ones leave we head west ourselves. At the rate things are going we might beat them out there. We go in at Needles, although we hate to. I don't know if yesterdays loads went north or south, they _really_ hate going in at Needles, but it probably beats sitting in the snowdrifts.

Mark, we are sending mostly story and a half, deep on top with division feeder, 1 load of doubles. We can average, some years we need that more than others.

It is nice if any dinks or deadouts left over can stay rather than being shipped out right away, just don't get payed for them. It gets expensive shipping half a truck load back to the frozen tundra in late January.
Sheri


----------



## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Sheri, I have both doubles and story and a halfs (halves?). Though it will take a lot of work to get them in shape, I believe. Everything is up in the air at this time. It may never happen. Yeah, my 1 1/2s are like yours. In the make up anyway. 

If they go, they will be shipped from SC and returned there.


----------

