The grower
> will be responsible, so circumventing the bug stations won't help.

"circumventing the bug stations" ( who would do that)

The 7% will be passed on to the grower. About $10 a hive now. California
beeks can place your hives at whatever price you want (the less than $120
offered by the grower group thinking last season there would be plenty of
hives instead of the current estimates of growers short 100,000 hives).

 out of state beekeepers will demand higher prices next year. 2011 & 2012
are the big years for new orchards coming on line.

The last offers we looked at this season were $200 for field run bees. $214
with the new tax in 2011.

Many growers of  crops are not getting bees these days. Not my problem!

Not enough hives and not willing to pay the *new* pricing structure or
using products like Pristine or assail are some of the reasons. Some its
simply the location of their groves ( next to huge fields of neonicotinoid
treated crops)

I did not post the above  for discussion but only to keep the list informed.
Beekeepers are picking and choosing pollination contracts carefully today.
Bees limping out of certain crops can cost loss of several other crop
pollinations.

watermelon and pumpkin pollinations are not getting done in many areas.
Cranberry growers are begging for hives. ALL pollinations which come at the
same time as honey crops such as clover in the upper Midwest are in trouble.

*If* your orchard can handle a semi load of bees ( 400-450 hives) then a bee
broker can most likely get you a load under certain considerations if you
book early. Less than semi loads are hard to find in many areas with the
exception of the major commercial beekeeper base areas  of California, Texas
and Florida.

Word of mouth today will bring you plenty of inquiries about pollination. We
run different size trucks but will not bring a less than truck load amount
( unless the price for a truck load is paid).

We told a grower wanting a semi load to try and find another supplier for a
couple private reasons. He called back a week later and said his bee broker
could not find a load. Our bees went in at a higher price than last year
with less restrictions on strength.

Unfortunately many commercial beekeepers do not possess what it takes to
simply take control of today's pollination scenario after years of kissing
growers -----. With today's annual losses and replacement costs and the 
costs
of maintaining good nutrition for the bees beekeepers need to pass all these
costs on to the growers. INCLUDING the 7% new fees.

Today's young commercial beekeepers are not afraid to charge the prices
needed to maintain a profit margin and willing to stay home if needed to get
the point across to growers.


bob

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