Bob wrote,

> Bees in areas of drought (according to Lyle Johnston 60% of all bees used
> in almond pollination spend the summer in the Mid west) are in rough 
> shape.
info --

Bob, I don't know one keeper in northern Calif that had a decent year. We 
went from too much cold wet weather to a three week heat wave of 110.
I  took three loads of 168 doubles out of the safflower fields to the 
foothills in the first of Aug.They would only avg 7-8 frames of bees. I feed 
5 gals syrup and two 6 pound pattie, not what I was looking to do in Aug. I 
thought I would be pulling supers of honey that month, NOT.
What I'm trying to say is, it's been a hard year for allot of us. But, it's 
worth pumping your hives even though they should be in better shape, you can 
take a poor hive in Aug and still avg 8 frame in the almonds.
Take a close look at my pictures in (ABJ  pg 843) the blue boxes are the 
ones I'm referring to, do you notice that their's very little burr comb. In 
Nov (ABJ) there is a close up of these hives, I took 7 frame hive in  first 
of Aug and turned into 18 frames by the end of Sept.
I'm not saying this is fun and not back breaking work, but it can be done. 
At a possibility of 125 and rising for pollination (maybe), beekeepers are 
foolish for not pumping them back up. I also would like to caution all who 
are quoting massive shortage and sky high prices, this also was done last 
year by a group of keepers.We all know what happen last year, so please be 
careful.
Timing is everything in this business, one needs to pin point any problems 
and act swiftly.Sitting around and hoping for a late honey flow is high 
stakes poker game, and almond pollinating is no game.

Keith Jarrett
Calif. 

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