Dave wrote:
   I'm curious as to another question. With the price of honey up, are
there very many beekeepers doing pollination who will abandon
their customers, to go after bigger honey crops?

You can divide most larger beekeepers doing pollination into two groups in
the U.S..

1. those which only want to do pollination and to those honey production is
a  problem.

2. those which are honey producers and pollinate a couple crops a year at
times when major honey production is not going on..

I doubt you will see little change in the second catagory but you will
probabbly see change in the first catagory.

 Many beekeepers  in the first catagory I have talked to say by the time
they gear up for large scale honey production they expect honey prices will
be back to normal (below cost of production prices) so they plan on doing
pollination.

A few which have got enough supers and a large enough extracting plant PLUS
the labor to run things say they are dropping pollination of crops such as
Dave spoke of which conflict with honey production.

Dave said:
 If a lot of beekeepers bail out of pollination, this could create a domino
effect on some growers who are already in a shaky position (same story as
beekeepers have long dealt with - cheap imports taking their markets).  When
the price of honey drops (as it inevitably must) and beekeepers go back for
pollination, will the growers be there?

Smart growers are willing to pay top dollar for strong hives of bees.

Those growers of crops which conflict with major honey flows need to decide
how important pollination is to their operation and did deeper and offer
higher pollination fees to keep the bees pollinating.

Times change and those growers which do not change with the times are doomed
to failure.

Those growers reading my post and  growing crops conflicting with the major
honey flow need to get the books out and figure out the amount of money you
can spend on pollination (be honest) and work things out with your beekeeper
IF he says he  will not be able to pollinate because of making a higher
profit with honey production. Is your beekeeper not being honest with you?

Bob

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