Hello Andrew & All,
 You can send me privately or post on the list your area and plans for
sending bees to almonds and I could advise.

> question for you pollinators: what is the general procedure you follow
when you have to combine hives to get the brood frame count up for almonds?

The idea is not to have to combine. As I wrote in several articles the cost
of taking two queenright hives to make one for almonds is not the best
method. Then you are a hive short which needs replaced after almonds.

Almond pollination plans start for out of state beekeepers  right after the
summer flow. After the fall flow can be too late unless planning on moving
bees into the South or California.

Send ONLY your best hives for pollination . If in California and you have
problems with grading then you have a choice to make.

1. combine

2. not combine

We have done both.

>How do the bees react?

May the best queen survive! Putting the best queen up is the usual method.
However we have simply combined with no concern to which queen remains.

> Any negative consequences?

Not with the bees but the beekeeper has paid trucking to California & back
( and possibly loading and unloading fees) for a hive which will bring no
pollination fee. Then he/she has to replace the hive when the empty hive
returns.

Combining is not cost effective but sometimes beekeepers decide to combine.
Each scenario is different. Bees do come normally out of almonds needing
split so repopulating those hives might not be a big deal. Each beekeeper
situation is different.

Today most out of state commercial beekeepers know the rules in California
( some say because of my articles). Was not always that way!  My purpose (
and only purpose) in doing the most controversal article I ever did on
California almond pollination was to explain pitfalls. In an attempt to keep
even one commercial beekeeper from having the problems the over twenty I
interveiwed for the article did. I might add that only two of the 20 still
send bees into California almonds. If the other 18 or so had understood the
grading etc. then perhaps they would still be interested in sending bees to
California.

To this day I do not believe California beekeepers and brokers *for the most
part* really understood the loss incured by those beekeepers.

A broker in one case called a Southern commercial Russian beekeeper. "Can
you send me a load of bees ?"

" Sure if I can get a semi" Was the reply!

When the bees arrived the broker called the beekeeper and said
" these bees are only on three frames of bees and are not strong enough to
pollinate!"

The beekeeper said "You never asked how strong they were" Three frames is
what the Russian bees are in dead of winter"

The load was returned the  loss cost the beekeeper around $20,000. Most
figure a 10% loss of queens in a almond turn around. So the Russian
beekeeper most likely had a minimum of 45 queen less hives.

Another beekeeper sent two loads and never got paid from his
broker/beekeeper.

Another Florida beekeeper had a load turned at the border for a single dead
small hive beetle.

I could go on and on.

California has been a lifesavor to many beekeeping outfits. Worth doing for
many but think things through and cover all bases. Get a pollination
contract.
Send only your best hives which you know will grade.

Bob



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