Hello All,

To many beekeepers what is going on in the commercial migratory outfits is another world. These beekeepers are blamed for all the current problems. The numbers of these hard working beekeepers is shrinking. If you look around the room in the Pollinator Summit (Dan Rather video) you see mostly gray and white hair. 

The purpose of the post is too explain why the industry needs the Australian import into California prior to almond pollination. Many almond growers as well as commercial beekeepers are on board with bringing in Australian package bees again. 

I believe every problem has a solution. One has to pick the best solution and at times there is not a solution which makes all those involved happy. 

There are large beekeeper outfits which have lost most their bees at least twice in the last five years. Borrowed money to rebuild in many cases not yet repaid. have no choice but to quit, try to borrow money or rebuild over a couple years (while their pollination contracts go unfilled and cash flow stops).

Almond growers are *interested* in purchasing package bees for beekeepers (in exchange for pollination contracts)  not able to rebuild (a month or so before almonds)
to get these outfits back on their feet. A win win for those beekeepers and almond growers.

Politics stopped the import not science. The Australian exporters sent those bees into Canada for decades without problems and those saying the import was the source of the die off have been proven wrong.

Large beekeepers see the above as a possible solution and none I have spoke with see a big problem. However the hobby beekeepers do.

The reason for Australia or New Zealand is the time of year when the industry needs package bees and queens.

Thanks for reading and considering a maybe different point of view!

bob

 
Bob said:

>I want to see another Australian import! 50 /60,000 packages and queens to fill the gap we saw this year.

>Big shortage of queens it seems this year in the U.S..

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