You are dead on, Bob!

Some growers have decided to forego a crop this year due to water prices.
That freed up thousands of colonies that are being offered at fire sale
prices. California beekeepers can simply let unrented colonies sit.  Out of
staters will cut other beekeeper's throats by bidding the price down to pay
for hauling costs back home.  I can't begin to tell you how appreciative we
locals are of that--almost as good as getting fire ants and small hive
beetle!

 The low nut prices will result in some orchards being pulled and replanted
to almonds or something else.  I took a nice photo of an orchard being
pulled a couple of weeks ago.

The supply is up because by some miracle beekeepers discovered that if they
give their bees good nutrition and keep mite levels low, that their colonies
will actually survive and be strong.

The high rental prices encouraged many to make increase.  CCD may have run
its course in most operations, making for more supply.  Brett Adee was
beaming in Fresno, which means that the competition is back in the game.

However, the fat lady hasn't sung yet.  I was speaking with Dr Denis
Anderson today as he visited a holding yard of 30,000 colonies.  He said
that in some colonies he inspected, three out of four cells had mites.
Denis was amazed at the concentration of that many colonies in one area, and
understood why they were being fed continually.  I made the analogy that
from a disease standpoint, a holding yard of that size is like a tinderbox
just waiting for a match.

A couple of weeks ago, several semiloads of deadouts/dinks went back to
Texas.  Out of state beekeepers are currently heading down to the Valley for
a reality check on their colony numbers.

I wish them the best of luck, but unless some of them crash, I won't be
placing all of my colonies  : (    My numbers rebounded this year, and I was
not foresightful enough to beat the bushes for additional contracts.  If
anyone needs a few more colonies in North Valley...

Randy Oliver

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