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Date: | Fri, 26 Jul 2013 12:08:59 -0600 |
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> So can we say Jeff Pettis is on shaky ground to claim annual colony
> losses in the 30% range are "economically unsustainable"?
> I came across data from the late 1980s, early 90s saying that annual
> colony losses had climbed as high as 39%. So, apparently, our beekeepers have
> managed to SUSTAIN themselves for at least 20 years with these rates of
> loss.
An average of 30% shrinkage per year has been the rule in Alberta as
long as I have kept bees.
Some years were higher, some maybe a bit less, but 30% has been typical
total annual shrinkage before compensation by making splits and buying
packages is considered.
Historically, adding about 10% package colonies has been the economic
sweet spot if the packages were available at reasonable cost. Of course
that number is sensitive to honey, sugar, and bee prices.
Splits can substitute for packages if made a year in advance, but there
is a cost to making increase above about 20% of colony numbers and also
making excessive numbers of splits can result in "feast and famine" if
losses are on the low or high side, and this is never predictable.
If a winter is mild, having a large number of splits in addition to
surviving production hives forces a beekeeper to expand. A bad winter
like the last one causes a contraction and either a scramble for
packages or splitting to where production suffers.
As a commercial outfit is usually scaled for a specific range of hive
numbers, such swings are stressful.
30% annual losses are nothing new, and historically around the mean --
if not a bit low.
The factor which is less obvious is the condition and productivity of
the surviving colonies. All hives are suffering burdens which increase
costs and reduce the returns.
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