> When other beeks place colonies for pollination, do they leave them at
> that location all year???

If the fee was high enough sure!

Most growers want bees at a certain time and removed at a certain time.

One reason is that the bees need brought in when bloom starts. Otherwise if
year around once the bees start working say clover(example)  the bees could
care less about pumpkins.

Some crops need several hives per acre to get proper pollination *if* crops
are blooming in the area the bees prefer better.


Most beekeepers are not set up to do serious pollination and moving a dozen
hives by hand can prove interesting. I think only 4-5 beekeepers in Missouri
are set up (hives on pallets & forklift plus large flatbed trucks) to do
serious pollination.

Everything Edward talks about is taken into consideration when giving a bid.
I care less what others will do the job for. Each job is different. As a
higher number of migratory beekeepers leave the business growers are seeing
those left become very independent. Either take the offer or keep looking
for bees.

I don't have to bring you hives simply because I am a beekeeper nor do I
have to come and take bees out of your house for free.

In areas with high concentrations of beekeepers able to do serious
pollination the grower has the upper hand. Smart pollinators will not get in
a bidding war but happens.

In areas like California beekeepers which do price fixing ( still illegal is
it not?) cry when an out of state beekeeper rides into town and places an
add in the Fresno bee for hives at bargain basement prices.
Same for apples , cherries and blueberries in other states.

A very very old business method many seem to have never heard of.

Common to Wal mart.

 Wal Mart comes into a small town and cuts all the Mom & Pops prices till
Wal Mart has the business and the Mom & pops are out of business. *Then* the
price goes up. Maybe (usually) even higher than before.

The above has been going on ever since beekeepers loaded hives on Model T's.

A signed pollination contract with details is the ONLY protection from the
above.

bob

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