Hi all,

Bob H. is right on with sending more bees per load and getting more money as
a strategy to make more money. But as he mentioned in his second post....our
bees return to Michigan with snow still on the ground and the weather is
unstable and still too cold to reliable feed. There is nothing I hate more
than bees starving.

Now the upside of sending bees in doubles heavy with honey and feed.
1) We don't go to Georgia with all the inherent costs of labor, fuel,
housing, breakdowns, equipment wear, etc. That costs money and has to be
subtracted off the calculated return. Big money off the profit margin.
2) Bees in doubles return jam packed with bees. That's two full boxes of
bees and feed still in the box. That has value.
3) The Bees return in cold weather and are self sufficient until the weather
settles. Then we have the return in the ability to split as desired, which
is not only a benefit for us, but has value. We sold many nucs to local
beekeepers, refilled all our dead units, and made up more hives to account
for the eventual decline in numbers over the course of a normal summer. 

I won't attempt to put all this in numbers, but just want to point out the
many different ways to manage one's bees, including lifestyle choices in the
pursuit of enjoyment of one's profession.

BTW, I'm always interested to hear of new ideas and approaches to managing
bees, Bob. It's good to keep an open mind and try new ideas and techniques.
If you get in the panhandle of Florida in the winter or spring, stop in and
visit. 

See ya,
k 

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