>How is the supply of bees for the almonds?    There was talk that they
might be short, but I was talking to Joe Traynor and he seems to be
okay, but then I imagine he has people beating down the door to work
with him.

In the area we are in the problem seems to be California bees of low
strength causing growers to hire extra hives. Our hives are very strong but
did not happen by accident.  We sent more hives than our contract called for
and they called yesterday and said they wanted all the hives.

>Since we're selling off hives, we'd been thinking of sending a
>truckload -- or two -- if supplies are short.  Of course, we could not
get them back up here over the Canada/US border, so w'd have to sell
them, or contract them to someone down there.

Joe Traynor, Pat Heitkam (Pres. ABF)   or Lyle Johnstone
(Pres. AHPA) broker hives for the almonds. These three are honest! Other
brokers are listed in ABJ which I am not familiar with ( these may be honest
also ).

Possible problem:
Digging bees out of a snow bank and shipping to Almonds has problems. Many
hives  are simply not strong enough to polinate and you pay shipping to
California and back for your winter deadouts. A Missouri beekeeper (not me)
shipped two semi loads dug from snow banks to California two winters ago.
Lyle J. was the broker. The hives were 80% dead when arrived in California
and the rest were not strong enough to polinate. The beekeeeper had to pay
shipping both ways and recieved no polination fees. Lyle J. was the broker
and will fill in the details to you if ask.


>What are others hearing?  Are supplies of bees short?

We hear   supplies of bees are short.

Most migratory beekeepers keep silent but maybe a few will comment. I know
of several large migratory beekeepers which did not go to California this
year. One did not get paid last year by the broker. None  of the above I
listed was the broker.  The owner of the Almonds said he paid the broker. We
do not use a broker.

The other had a large number of hives stolen.

Bob