# Pollination fair value



## BeeSummey208 (Nov 23, 2013)

I have a question for anyone with almond pollination experience. I have a grower with 10 acres needing pollination. The grower requested 23 hives and is willing to pay 120.00 per hive. I am bringing him 31 hives with varying strengths: 15 hives 6-8 frame avg., 5 hives queen right with 5 frames, and 11 weak hives that are all queen right with brood and 3- 4 frames of bees. I am only going to charge for 20 hives the grower with the additional 11 hives to even things out and more importantly for me to hopefully strengthen my weak hives. Any thought if this sounds like a fair deal. Thanks


----------



## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

It sounds to me the guy is using you to undercut someone else and he will bragg about at his coffee shop.


----------



## 707tothe907 (Mar 20, 2014)

I don't know what the guy above me is so upset about... Sounds like pure capitalism. What's the problem?

As a local beekeeper with as many hives as you have, I would jump on that in a heartbeat.


----------



## clyderoad (Jun 10, 2012)

I get more for my hives in apples on the small orchards than the other guy(s) do on their bigger drops, not less.
It's because the bigger outfits don't want to bother with the small orchards.
Just pure capitalism.


----------



## beeware10 (Jul 25, 2010)

must be a calif thing. lol Is'nt 120 below market value?


----------



## jean-marc (Jan 13, 2005)

Why would you rent for less the "going rate"? I have been reading $170/hive, certainly nobody is posting less than $150. Why take $120? Then you are bringing extra so in fact you are averaging about 30% less, closer to $90. Seems to me like farmer is getting the very good deal.

Jean-Marc


----------



## bigtex (Nov 17, 2014)

If you are happy & the farmer is happy then it is a fair deal..


----------



## BeeSummey208 (Nov 23, 2013)

To be honest, I am not very proud of my bees this year. I was concerned that I was not giving the grower fair value. I dropped the price because I had so many hives that do meet my expectations. I just wanted you opinion that this seem fair to the grower because I have almost half my hives below 5 frames. I am happy because I get my bees onto something to eat besides syrup and patties. Thanks for the help.


----------



## beesohappy (Jun 3, 2009)

BeeSummey208 said:


> To be honest, I am not very proud of my bees this year. I was concerned that I was not giving the grower fair value. I dropped the price because I had so many hives that do meet my expectations. I just wanted you opinion that this seem fair to the grower because I have almost half my hives below 5 frames. I am happy because I get my bees onto something to eat besides syrup and patties. Thanks for the help.



Let me ask you this, what did you learn to do differently so when next season comes you'll have strong bees so you can feel good about getting a good going rate of around $175?


----------



## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

To get $170 per hive you need 8 frames of bees per hive, or very close to it, and many of yours are dinks. I think you are getting a good deal. I would take it in a heartbeat. Have a great time in almonds, hope it goes well for you and your dinks build up for you.


----------



## BeeSummey208 (Nov 23, 2013)

Beesohappy, I learned that drought is not good for bees and where I live in Lincoln there is no shortage of beekeepers and competition for what little forage there is to be had. This year I am going to move my bees out of the Lincoln area sooner. I am also going to treat earlier for mite and get on top of wax moths sooner. The moths really did a number on my hives last summer and fall.

Ray thanks for you response. Dinks is such an ugly word how about undersized or skinny framed hives. I would have never even considered asking $170.00 for my hives in their present condition. I was thinking 120,00 was asking a lot for my skinnies.


----------



## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

If your hives don't meet spec, and the grower has offered your services knowing they are undersized, I see no problem bringing in that revenue. You will not get the 170, and you will not get paid with them sitting at home.


----------



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

Dinks are worth what they are worth............ Sounds like many of what you have are in that category. Get what you can!!!! 

My bet is that the guy needs "boxes" to cover his behind in regards to requirements stated within his crop insurance package. 

If this field is on its own the bees might not do the job. If its located in the middle of another 10000 hives he will get the best of both worlds.


----------



## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

The grower is asking for 23, you are planning to send 31... May I make a suggestion?
Take the 8 weakest and kill the queens, and combine them with the remaining 8 weakest. It takes bees to make bees, and this will get you in much better shape to increase hive strength through almonds. It will also make the hives stonger so that they can actually do something in the almonds. When you get back from almonds, you can then raise queens and split off two nucs for every hive that makes it back to increase with. Then in July you could split the strongest ones you have again, if you wanted. This makes more sense than sending 8 more than asked for with many of those being so weak that they are not going to do any good for the almond orchard anyway. Good Luck!


----------



## BeeGhost (May 7, 2011)

Heck ya!!! Take them to almonds and use that money to expand or sustain your beekeeping. I took 6 hives to almonds my first year, they were 7 frame average and I got $140 a hive. I even told the farmer that they were dinks and not worth putting in his orchard, but he insisted. I used that money to buy more equipment and have taken my hives back to him every year since then, only increasing in numbers, and he planted more trees and will need more bees, which is good for me!! He is a family friend and his checks are on time and don't bounce around the room! I told him I will keep his price at $140 and will increase to $150 next year, he has no problem with that and knows the going rate. Im not relying on pollination money for my living and I didn't undercut any beekeepers to get the contract, so I can and will charge what I want. And since he is my first almond pollination gig I am giving him a break as a thanks for helping me when I was just starting out.


----------



## beesohappy (Jun 3, 2009)

BeeSummey208 said:


> Beesohappy, I learned that drought is not good for bees and where I live in Lincoln there is no shortage of beekeepers and competition for what little forage there is to be had. This year I am going to move my bees out of the Lincoln area sooner. I am also going to treat earlier for mite and get on top of wax moths sooner. The moths really did a number on my hives last summer and fall.
> 
> 
> This is what I've learned from what I've seen in my own hives. Feed them real good in September and October so their strong going into winter.


----------

