In a message dated 97-04-22 14:05:41 EDT, [log in to unmask] (Dave from
Scranton) writes:
 
<<         Anyone know how the weather in the US state of Georgia these days?
 I'm waiting for some packages from York, in Jessup and wanted to know if
 there's a weather delay like last spring.
         Weather here hasn't been fun here, it's been cold and rainy or at
 night down to almost freezing. The dandalions are barely popping up. I'm
 not very happy with it.  >>
 
   The weather in the southeast has been fantastic, with a very early, mild
spring.  We've had a couple late frosts, but only spotty, and they didn't
seem to hurt.
 
   A good spring in the southeast is good news for the northeast, because so
many package bees are being produced, and this may help replenish the supply.
 The bees are doing their best.
 
    The demand is intense; and  the worst limitation in a good season is
human strength.  It's a very intense business, and good help is hard to find
for such a seasonal job.
 
    Northern beekeepers who'd like a working vacation in the south might well
enquire (early!) to see if they could spend the package season with a
producer.  They might find a willing employer.  There are a few who do this
already.
 
   Florida has had a poor season.  The January freeze did a lot of damage to
the orange groves, and subsequent weather has been very rainy and cold, by
Florida standards.  I don't know of any Florida package producers, but a lot
of nucs come out of Florida.
 
   [log in to unmask]    Dave Green,  PO Box 1200,  Hemingway,  SC
29554        (Dave & Jan's Pollination Service,  Pot o'Gold Honey Co.)
 
Practical Pollination Home Page            Dave & Janice Green
http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html