Hello Randy & All,
I have been hired by ABJ to write about the situation in California. I have
interviewed  around 20 beekeepers, almond growers & brokers.

Randy has only given a glimpse as to the problem.

Randy provides an accurate California beekeeper position with a strong
almond broker sound. I can't find a single beekeeper which has ever heard of
you. Were you on one of the crews doing the evaluations? Does not really
matter.

I interviewed two beekeepers today which spent the last weeks combining
hives and unloading out of state semi's. They had around 10,000 hives under
their control. I have got information from Adee Honey Farms (largest
provider of bees for almonds in the U.S.)

I interviewed beekeepers from North & South Dakota, Nebraska,
Kansas, Missouri , Georgia, Florida & California.

I think I have got a clear picture of what went on. What caused the problem
and for sure the Almond broker which fueled the fire. The almond broker
which has been linked to being behind the problem reads this list and knows
who he is.

I have spoken with you by email and I  pass advice which you should not take
lightly. Time does heal most wounds (except maybe those which cost thousands
of dollars)

Friendly advice is to not attend another large beekeeper gathering as three
I interviewed said they were going to invite you outside for a discussion.
Please do not kill the messenger! I am taking a chance by warning you.

I hope to downsize about 20 pages of notes into an article for April
American Bee Journal.

New from California today:
Bees were long until the combining and now good bees are short. Phones are
ringing for hives with at least a four frames of bees average (which is
about eight frame beekeeper average). Of course $150 is only for hives
*they* grade at 10 frames of bees. Have not talked to a beekeeper getting
top dollar yet. Two strong hives combined at times will yield a hive which
will bring over a $100.

I hope all involved will read the article. Each group has their opinion of
what happened and why. I hope to honestly print each position and the
readers can understand what happened and the reasons why the situation got
out of control.

Many beekeepers say they are going to be bankrupt by this years problems.
Others say they will never return to almond pollination. Others say bees can
not be moved from northern areas to California and be sold into almonds in
January with 8-10 frames (as brokers  count bees).

Not one beekeeper I talked to  thinks the grading is accurate. One beekeeper
went through around a thousand hives with the broker/grower evaluators.

Almond growers made a statement but will the statement end up coming back to
haunt them in years to come. I do not know.

One beekeeper said to me concerning this almond pollination:
"  Natural selection of survival of the fittest beekeeper"

A guess would be the new process set in place by almond growers/ brokers
cost beekeepers around a million dollars in lost pollination fees.

Another said:
"burn me once is a learning experience but you will not burn me twice"



Bob

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