Hello Mike & All,
I think Randy & Peter get their feathers ruffled to easy.

In Randys "rant" he forgot to bring up my absurd thinking that the neonics 
are killing bees.

However others are starting to write articles like the two recent neonic 
articles . One by Marion Ellis and the other by Clarence Collison.

As far as what he said below:

Bob said:
>>>> Our beekeeping die offs correspond with the rush for the gold in 
>>>> almonds.

The above is true for both Hackenberg & Adee Honey farms. Most commercial 
beekeepers including myself saw a change in bee problems when we added a 
stop in California to our routes.A simple true statement which ruffeld 
Randys feathers.

Randy ranted:
>>We Californian's don't need out of state beekeepers bringing in thousands 
>>of sick colonies

Nobody intenitally brings in sick colonies but some arrive sent from snow 
banks in the Dakotas and there certainly are ALWAYS plenty of sick 
California colonies in California.(personal observation)

Point 1: Do you need out of state hives to fulfill all the pollination 
requests made by the pollen growers or can the Californians handle the 
requests for hive numbers in state?

California beeks have not been able to provide enouth hives for almonds for 
many years. Bell Honey saved their butts over two decades ago with 17 semi 
loads clear from Florida. A
If my memory serves me correct out of state beeks provide two thirds of the 
hives AT LEAST!

Point 2: Would commercial beekeepers knowingly bring in infectious hives, 
knowing that they would cause considerable harm to other beekeepers in the 
area,

none i work with  >We grade our hives and only send the best healthy hives. 
Shipping sick hives or hives which will not grades cuts into profits. 
Trucking and loading and unloading fees run $25 and up per hive.

> How would one determine one's bees were sick and infectious going into the 
> winter season?

Most of us try to depoulate or treat hives in late fall. Shipping hives to 
Texas and then shipping to almonds is a better method for most of us but 
some do ship out of a snow bank at times( as I have )but with shipping from 
the South you can check bees *before * shipping.

My bees are set to arrive in California by way of Texas next almonds.

Bob

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