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Wed, 7 Jul 2010 15:12:22 EDT |
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In a message dated 7/7/2010 11:51:34 A.M. Mountain Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
"some growers who stocked 2.5 hives per
acre this year probably would have benefitted by having 3.5 hives".
and "Colony strength was a key factor this season.
Paul
I sampled bee colonies all up and down CA in Feb, prior to almonds. I've
also talked to members of the almond board.
The quote misses the point. When the collapse hit this year, many
beekeepers elected to cut back on the number of colonies provided (80% rule seemed
common) to any given grower, so as to minimize the impact on growers. The
rationale - better to provide adequate pollination to as many as possible,
rather than have some go without bees.
In the last two weeks before Almonds, you couldn't carry on a conversation
with any beekeeper who rented bees for pollination - their phones just kept
ringing, growers paying top dollar for any box with bees in it.
So - we would all agree that growers would have benefited by having more
hives - the reason that many did not was the shortage of bees - despite
another urgent set of shipments from Australia, and bees being freighted across
the U.S. at the last minute.
Give credit to the U.S. beekeeping industry for minimizing the impact.
Don't assume that there was no shortage.
Jerry
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