It's been a bad winter for me here in California due to the regular stuff
as well as another bear attack and, of all things, yellow jackets, which
are always pesky, but never as hugely populous as this year.

But still, it's nice to have honey and beehives what with the shortage
here. I've never had so many desperate farmers call as I've had lately,
and the same for those who want local raw honey. A big avocado orchard
where for years I've kept the bulk of my hives just switched hands. The
deal was that I could keep the hives there all year in return for
pollinating in May-June, and it has been nice because of a good winter
honey crop. But I got a call yesterday from the new manager. He want bees
there from March to July (which is ridiculous due to minimum temperatures
for fruit set not being met in the spring) and he wants the right to
decide how many hives are to be placed there with virutally no notice
given to me. He will decide based on "feeling" whether he needs 60 hives
or 400 (for a 100 acre ranch with many young trees). When I told him my
hives would be in the almonds until mid March and I don't have the room
capacity for more than 150 hives I got a smug talk about this great
beekeeper he knows who will be willing to provide the type of services he
requires.

I've also got more offers to keep small amounts of bees on small orchards
in my immediate vicinity than ever, and while it may not be charitable,
I'm looking forward to his phone calls once he learns some basic facts of
beekeeping in a few months.

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