>A bit OTT, but interesting:>https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jan/07/honeybees-deaths-almonds-hives-aoe
Is there anyone going to almonds who doesn't understand the risks? Travel stress, minimal forage prior to placing in orchards, mingling with other colonies that may be diseased or over-run with mites, and pesticides? I think of almonds as the pre-school for bees. Everybody gets exposed to whatever anyone else been exposed.
I did notice that the Guardian wrote an article on one man's opinion. One who attributes his increased revenue from pollination versus honey production, but then complains when his bees took a down-turn from his 'money-maker'.
If he's truly concerned, the option, is simple. Stay out of almonds. That's what at least one major Montana commercial beekeeping operation decided some years ago. Less profit, but less loss, healthier bees.
I think of this in ways similar to cars and trucks. Minimum cost, buy a reliable car or pickup, keep it maintained, don't abuse it, don't race it. Maximum profit, professional racing with sponsors to hedge against losses, crashes. Of course, only a few really make the big bucks.
Maximum win/loss risk - street racers who bet on their own races or stupidly race for pink slips. From my perspective, street racing and almond pollination have lots of similarities.
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