>
> Bob said:
> The reason why I have said at
> times up to 50% winter losses can be a good thing if you do not want to get
> bigger.


Bob, I'm always fascinated at the differences in beekeeping  strategies from
area to area!
Commercial beeks in California may not even own a honey extractor.  Our main
income is from almond pollination, and we may sign contracts in November.
Taking 50% winter losses after the contract is signed is troublesome.  In
California, it is a numbers game--how many strong colonies you have on Feb
15th.  We do not have the luxury of making up winter losses before our main
income source.

The trick for the rest of the year (as you said) is to avoid getting
poisoned during other pollinations, or finding adequate forage to maintain
colony health through summer, or to move to better pasture, or perhaps a
honey crop.

>but in the south you have problems in spring finding equipment
to put bees in. We have had to make splits and use tar paper for tops and
bottoms to keep the bees out of the trees.

I assumed that all beekeepers are forced to resort to makeshift tops in good
springs!  We do the same here, as the bees often come out of almonds
bursting at the seams.

Randy Oliver

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