BEE-L Archives

Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

BEE-L@COMMUNITY.LSOFT.COM

Options: Use Monospaced Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Bob Harrison <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 1 Sep 2003 08:59:35 -0500
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (58 lines)
Robin said:
.   But risks to health from heavy lifting are another topic).

The weight of supers full of honey are within the limits for weight for even
UPS drivers let alone most U.S. industries.

approx 60 lb. (Illinois depth) and 75-85 (full depth langstroth).

Robin said:
Does Bob's description indicate comercial beekeeping is completely
out-of-date as an industrial activity,

Because in England commercial beekeepers as found in the U.S. do not exist
it is hard for beekeepers in the U.K. to picture a large U.S. migratory
operation in my opinion. Also hard for a farmer in the U.K farming 40 acres
to imagine a U.S. row crop farmer farming several thousand acres by himself.

Forget *industrial activity* and think agricultural activity. I have put
square bales of hay in the barn heavier than honey supers.

Robin added:
 a quaint relic of former pioneering
times  - if so,  do those engaged at the commecial level feel it can go on
indefinitely without a radical re-think?

The U.S. honey producers may not win out over cheap foreign honey. As with
many other American industries  the cheap price of foreign products (honey)
may eventually bankrupt the American honey producer.

Most beekeepers doing pollination need income from honey production also to
survive. Without income from honey production to suppliment pollination
income they to could go bankrupt. Selling honey at cost of production or
below cost of production will not work for American beekeepers  like it does
for China.
China is doing to the U.S. beekeeping industry what Wal Mart does to the
small Mom & Pop stores in a small town.

The American consumer can always find something to spread on his/her toast
and pancakes but when the beekeepers which provide pollination are gone our
country will be in serious trouble trying to pollinate crops which will not
produce without honeybees. Millions of acres of Almonds , Apples ,
Blueberries, cranberries ,peaches etc. will sit untended  and the workers
will be laid off!

Viet Nam was the largest importer of honey to the U.S. last year with a
small number of bee hives . Quite a feat but the honey was accepted into the
U.S. by the powers that be despite protests by U.S. beekeepers.  We figured
the Viet Nam crop average per hive must have been over a thousand pounds per
colony.  Hmmm.
Maybe Viet Vam  will provide the million hives of bees needed to pollinate
Almonds this year.

bob

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and  other info ---
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

ATOM RSS1 RSS2