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Date: | Tue, 26 Feb 2019 12:34:56 -0800 |
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We California beekeepers are in a fix--the demand for hives for almond
pollination exceeds the carrying capacity of the State for that number of
colonies for the rest of the year. Thus, many Calif beekeepers move out of
state for the summer, and beekeepers in other states move into Calif for
winter. The Almond industry is not about to allow us to close our borders,
despite the fact that almond bee transport introduces pests into California
-- both bee and agricultural pests (e.g., SHB, fire ant, False Lanternfly).
Almond rent alone is not enough income for most operations to be
viable--we're still in the red after collecting our pollination checks.
And as our climate warms, honey production in California doesn't make us
much income.
The increasing demand for almond pollination hives has helped many
commercial beekeepers across the U.S. But it could be justifiably argued
that it's one of the worst things for our industry as a whole, as it is
forcing commercial beekeepers to overstock the carrying capacity of the
land all over the country. As a result, it's become more and more
difficult to keep colonies healthy or to make a decent honey crop.
I don't have a solution, but my money's on the almond industry to write the
rules.
--
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com
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