Joe asks:
For those of you that pollinate, do you handle things differently if the
grower has a failure of their crop?

No. Crop problems are common as are beekeeping failures. Will the chemical
company return the money for the chemicals if a crop failure. The seed
seller?

Any suggestions?

Your commitment  was for you to provide pollination in exchange for an
agreed payment. The only adjustment to payment would be if the pollination
was the cause of the crop failure. If not then the grower needs to pay.

I have seen the problems caused by what your grower is suggesting.

 A beekeeper in our area fell for the growers BS.

 The beekeeper did not get paid until after the crop was in and then not the
agreed price but what the grower wanted to pay.

After the death of the above beekeeper it took us a couple years to get the
growers mind right but he came around. Half payment when the bees are
brought in and the other half when they leave the orchard.

Too many growers want to skimp on the number of hives to pollinate with and
then when weather happens when the bees are cut to only a few flying days
the grower wants to blame the beekeeper.

We bring in the bees at the time the grower wants . At the strength agreed
on in advance. We remove at the time the grower wants the bees removed. End
of story!

The above agreed prices will be discounted if the beekeeper fails in his end
of the deal such as:

1. fails to deliver on time (too late arrival will cause a below normal crop
on certain crops)

2.hives are below strength agreed on.

we have saved many a crop aaand out of state beekeeper  in this area by
bringing in strong hives to asure pollination. The grower has hired out of
state hives at a lower price only to find hives to weak to pollinate. We
charge a higher price as the bees are needed within hours and we are
allready busy which means long hours. At times around the clock only taking
cat naps. Most growers will gladly pay the higher price and try to get the
first pollinator to discount the agreed price.

3.Not removed on time. (very important and can cause crop failure on certain
crops if spraying is delayed.) The top two are problems seen on a regular
basis. When the call comes to remove the bees from certain crops beekeepers
move fast. Growers have killed many hives by giving the beekeeper say 24
hours to remove bees and then spraying . many beekeepers have lost hives by
spraying when not removed as agreed.

We had a grower in California irrigate his almond orchard before we could
get our hives out. Takes several nights of work to remove all hives. The
grower said we could waid through the foot of water and carry our pallets of
hives out by hand. Yea right! We got our hives out but not by hand and I
suppose the grower is still trying to fill the ruts (and find a beekeeper
for next year)!

Bob

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and  other info ---
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::