# Bloom is over but bees still aren't released??? anyone else????



## benstung (Mar 20, 2011)

The bloom is about over and lots of bees on the road, but some of ours are not.
anyone else having same problems.

where are your bees and when were they released???


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## Lazer128 (Dec 15, 2012)

benstung said:


> The bloom is about over and lots of bees on the road, but some of ours are not.
> anyone else having same problems.
> 
> where are your bees and when were they released???


Good morning! I'm a newbee. Get my first 4 packages in less than two weeks. I posted because I am curious about what you asked? Can you explain this to a curious newbee? "On the road"? I hope you don't mind me asking.


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## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

They were released, hence loaded on a truck and "on the road", being transported back home.

Jean-Marc


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## Birdman (May 8, 2009)

His bee are pollinating almonds the almond bloom is over, he is waiting for the almond grower to release his bees. Then he can move them to the next pollination job or home.


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## dback (Jan 8, 2012)

Happens every year. Some growers just don't want to let go until the last petal falls. There are some hard shells with a bit to go but not much......should be done by the end of the week with these temps.


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## LSBees (Sep 24, 2009)

We are not in California to verify but our grower in Livingston recently told us that this trees are still in bloom?


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## Shouse (Jul 1, 2010)

All done as of today in northern california.


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## LSPender (Nov 16, 2004)

All bloom is complete, as of 3-14-13 posted on blue diamond web site, they will no longer be posting pollination info this season.
We got final release in wasco area today and in my opinion the bloom has been complete for at least a week.

One thing I find simpley ammazing is how many growers do not understand how the trees work, what I have come to learn is that pollination happens within 48 hrs of blossom opening , that is the window of opportunity.

So the saying goes" once the girls pregant, can't get any more , but it's fun trying" 

or to simplify it for the growers we could pull the hives out 2 weeks ago and you will have your crop.


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## BeeGhost (May 7, 2011)

LSBees said:


> We are not in California to verify but our grower in Livingston recently told us that this trees are still in bloom?


That's where my bees are and there is very little bloom at all, I was just down there on Saturday. And when I say hardly any bloom, you can count the blooms per tree, and even those "blooms" are just petals hanging on for dear life! Everything that was white a couple weeks ago is green now. Im pulling my hives on Thursday, but only because I didn't have time to do it sooner! 

You should be released this week forsure.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Still some blooms around here but I think it's just about over. Whatever's left on the tree has problem been open for awhile.


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## Lazer128 (Dec 15, 2012)

Thanks for the explanations. I am now a smarter newbee! Thanks everyone.


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## Bradley_Bee (May 21, 2008)

JRG13 said:


> Still some blooms around here but I think it's just about over. Whatever's left on the tree has problem been open for awhile.


Hey JRG13 ive been trying to get ahold of you. can you email me or respond to my private message ? [email protected]


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Hey Bradley, 

Sorry, I have no pm's from you. I will email u.


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## suttonbeeman (Aug 22, 2003)

LSPender said:


> All bloom is complete, as of 3-14-13 posted on blue diamond web site, they. ill no longer be posting pollination info this season.
> We got final release in wasco area today and in my opinion the bloom has been complete for at least a week.
> U
> 
> ...


Got held up last year two weeks when there was no viable bloom. Trees were in 95% bloom a month before I was released. There was NOTHING in yhT area for the bees to work and they went downhill and were light. That area had a dry bloom with little pollen. Growers need to realize just because there is a pedal doesn't mean anything is viable.I missed two weeks of orange bloom and it took partof summer bloom to get bees back up. After taking almond pollination income I figure I lost 100k net. I. Other words I would have made 100k more staying in the east coast. That's one reason my hives stayed in Florida this year for the first time in 8 years. I'm sure dome grower would love to have had some 12 framers that didn't get bees ( I hear 500,000 good hives short). Its a two way street! If I ever go again there will be a release datein contract that states when trees have reached 99 percent bloom I'm released
Or we may go by in the girls reports on blue diamond. Regardless I will never set two weeks again unless they want to pay me 5 dollars per colony per day! Almond growers need to be educated by brokers...if they want bees they better listen and fix the morons st the border.


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## beesohappy (Jun 3, 2009)

I included the link for the blue diamond bloom report and I was wanting to know if the blooms in this picture are done. I have bees in buttes and padres off Keyes road and hwy99 in Ceres and I think their done but the orchard owner was shacked when I told him I was wanting to move them out soon. His blooms look a lot like these. Even the blooms pushing out still are stripped of pollen an I don't want them to start starving.

http://www.bluediamond.com/applications/in-the-field/images/Central3LRG273.jpg

Thanks for your input.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

I have hives in some late blooming orchards, but last Saturday as far as i could tell it was all over.I couldn't find any flowers that didn't have a tiny nut in the center. A little shake dropped the petals off.

I also saw that every hive had whitened their combs and were full of almond honey, pollen and lots of brood. So I am not worried about starvation for a week or two.

Mine can stay put for awhile. There is still snow in some of my beeyards .


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Those got a little bit left bees, I can see some anthers have not shed yet in those pics in each flower.


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## beesohappy (Jun 3, 2009)

Now that were getting a little rain will that wipe out anything that might have been holding on? Are the anthers what the pollen sticks to when the bloom first opens? What will the bees get from these blooms?


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

Yes, the anthers are what the pollen sheds from. Typically when it hits a certain temp after the bloom opens, the anthers release the pollen which can then be collected. Not sure what almonds are, but I would assume about 50% of the pollen is released the first day, and the other 50% on day 2. Probably depends more on temperature than anything, hotter days might get full release day 1. But in the pic, you can see they're still bright yellow and shiny, after shed, they look really dry and usually turn a dull color.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

I think experiments showed that those last few blooms dont set any nuts.But I wouldn't want to argue the point with a guy that just wrote out a big pollination check.


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## JRG13 (May 11, 2012)

From what I saw in the orchard by my work, was that the early/faster bloom pollinators were done long before the others so I could see why the last blooms are apt to fail if you need cross pollination. The bulk of the bloom was covered quite well.


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

They are releasing ours this weekend.


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## beesohappy (Jun 3, 2009)

Thanks JRG13 and yes I'd agree with you to Mike if I was getting a check. Every year it's the same old sob story about how he's waiting for money to come in so he can pay me. I'll get $500 here or a $1000 there. I'm happy to have the opportunity I just don't want to be held up because I can put them on better ground. I've got my fingers crossed for cherries or something else to come along soon. Do you guys have any leads?


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## beesohappy (Jun 3, 2009)

Eastsidebuzz- what species of almonds did your bees pollinate?


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## Keith Jarrett (Dec 10, 2006)

loggermike said:


> I think experiments showed that those last few blooms dont set any nuts.But I wouldn't want to argue the point with a guy that just wrote out a big pollination check.


Mike, very well said. If an extra week is going to kill someone this is not the place for yeah.


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## suttonbeeman (Aug 22, 2003)

Mike and keith
I respectively disagree! Just because he writes you a big check why should your bees sit 10 days when there is no viable bloom. You're not getting PaID to sit bees in almonds you are getting paid to pollinate the blooms. Educate the grower and both of us win! If I sit in a orchard with no bloom ansvmiss 10 days of honey flow at 5 lbs a day x 2.00 per lb that's 100 dollars about what I would net in almonds. What is accomplished by not educating the grower? I'll bet if they care short 500k hives next year they would be glad to release...along growers need to be educated and work with beekeepers for both to prosper! Just because he writes you a big check shouldn't mean you sit and bees go backwards after a bloom....besides its all not profit!


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

This just shows how different beemen view the situation. IF I had a flow or another pollination to go to and was losing time by overstaying in the almonds, well that would be different. Some almond locations have prunes and mustard nearby in bloom right after, so for me its better to let them hang around awhile before I bring them up into the high country where there is still a bit of snow around and No bloom for a week or two.

Everyone does something different after almonds so not saying you are wrong.


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