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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