The aspect of "sustainability" of migratory operations that is of question 
to me is the cost of transportation as energy becomes more dear.  When honey 
spiked a few years back, I actually shipped drums of it from California to 
Pennsylvania!  What a waste of fuel.

Both honey and bees on combs are danged heavy.  As the cost of fuel rises, 
the pool of cost-effective bees from which to draw for almond pollination 
will shrink westward.  Florida beekeepers are really weighing the freight 
costs of hauling cross country this year.

I can't imagine that there will ever bee enough "local" bees to pollinate 
the almonds.  The market of cost and profit will eventually determine the 
sustainability of long-distance migration.

Randy Oliver 

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