Hello Keith & All,
Sorry you are upset with me. I have talked to many upset people over the
issue. Both Tim Tucker and I are wondering what you are upset about? You got
top dollar for your hives!

It seems you have got little compassion for your fellow beekeepers which are
leaving California with their outfits in ruins. You are
the California beekeeper which seems to take the Grower/broker side the
most.

I am a very busy person. Happens to be the temperature this week is so cold
in Missouri. I am shut down as far as beekeeping is concerned so I have
plenty of time for the internet and researching the current article.

Your opinion is only one of many. I have interviewed many people. I want the
story of what happened not of one California beekeeper screaming out of
state beekeepers should have known better. Some of these families were
bringing bees into almonds before you
were born.

I don't normally publish on BEE-L my private email but I am going to include
the email (which he said he never got but was the basis for this post)  I
sent  Keith asking for permission to use information he posted on BEE-L in
my article. I always ask.

Best of luck with your bees in the coming season! Maybe we can exchange
recipes for pollen patties. Like most cooks I think mine is better. Pollen
patties with Chinese pollen! Yuck!

Sincerely,
Bob Harrison

Ps this has been a tough article. I want to get it right.
I removed the brokers name below but the rest of the email is intact. I
added a couple of my comments in (    ).

Hello Keith,
I have talked to Randy Oliver and he said I could quote him in ABJ about the
way he ready's bees for almonds. I would like to do the same with the
methods you use.
I believe out of state beekeepers need to be told what they need to do to
prepare.
So far  I have not found any concrete information of wrong doing by brokers
so I will write the article by simply giving  the release  --- ------- and
other brokers sent, comments from almond growers , out of state beekeepers
and four or five California beekeepers.

My only wish is to inform beekeepers  so the problem does not repeat itself
next year.

Even the out of state beekeepers which were yelling the loudest are starting
to calm down and get ready for the coming season. Tim Tucker is starting to
calm down ( Tim I hope you don't mind what I said to Keith but you were very
upset when we first spoke). One commercial beekeeper which has bees in
almonds and is in Texas was screaming so loud I had to hold the phone away
from my ear yesterday. He's still very pissed.

Thanks for your help! Interesting all the work you do to prepare for
almonds. Most out of state beekeepers buy patties from the Mexicans (north
of  Fresno) or -------Patties out of Canada.

 Beekeepers which have tried -----  ----- patties say the bees don't like
the patty because of no real  pollen . I have never tried any of the above
patties but make my own. The only time we need patties in Missouri will be
coming up in a week. Has been very cold ( 7 F. right now) and sap is in
roots of trees. First warm spell I
put patties on till the sap comes up and maples bloom. Bees were bringing in
fresh pollen last brief warm spell. Henbit and wild mustard.
Bob

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