Hello All,
Tom,
Why are you so dead set against Canadian queens?

Allen Dick advised his fellow Canadians to open the border. excellent 
advice in my opinion as the reasons for closing the border are gone. 

Opening the border would allow Canadian beekeepers like Jean-Marc access to 
almonds thus easing the almond bee shortage problems in years to come.

Tom asks what the difference is between the Canadian border opening and the 
Mexican border.

Simply put money opened the U.S. to Australian packages & queens to fill a 
need.

The almond industry is rich compared to the beekeeping industry. Tossing 
money at a problem is the American way.  As I said before U.S. beekeepers 
are not interested in bees entering from Mexico but if prices and shortages 
occur over the next few years in almonds the below scenario will happen 
first. later the mexicans will drive into almonds and do like out of 
staters on "guest workers papers"

 Right now Mexican truckers can bring frieght ( Yellow/Roadway) across the 
border so many miles . As a retired member of the Teamsters union we fought 
this tooth and nail and lost. Once the courts run the course the Mexican 
trucks we be free to travel the 48 states. Live bees will become freight( 
just like the post office)  A 10 lane super highway will be started next 
year between Mexico and Canada. Five lanes both ways.  

One proposel:
Once on the U.S. side the the hives can be unloaded and inspected. then 
loaded on U.S. beekeepers trucks and moved into almonds. I believe the USDA 
will buy into the arrangement if smart lawyers and money is involved but I 
HOPE NOT! What I am talking about is not a one time deal. Once set in place 
Mexican beekeepers will have access to almonds from now on. 

Opening the Canadian border will ease the situation in 2009-2010.

Keith,
Many North Dakota beekeepers are in serious trouble. Money problems and 
hives in poor shape. 
Yesterday Senator Conrad (N.D.) went in front of the senate ( I watched his 
presentation ) asking for 4.5 billion in disaster farm aid. Beekeepers have 
been left out from what beekeepers are saying but perhaps (like Keith 
Jarret) they will find a way to get some help to create cash flow. 

Huge operations are leaving the dakota's to become Keith & Randy's 
neighbors.

As far as "hear say" Keith I hope you are not talking about me as my phone 
bill to california is huge. Five calls yesterday! Two to almond growers. 
Three to the largest supplier of almond trees to almond growers. 

One almond grower said over $25 dollars a hive for bees in almonds is a rip 
off. I hate to report they are not happy with beekeepers and what they call 
price gouging. One said they look at beekeepers like they do the gas 
companies. Please don't kill the messenger! My job is to report what the 
different people involved tell me in a story. 

I spoke with an almond grower last saturday in person in Kansas City. He 
was here on a visit. he got so upset I thought he was going to have a heart 
attack. He said the price for hive rental should be based solely on the 
price paid for almonds. Almond pollination fees should not be paid until 
fall after the nuts are sold. I tried to explain the beekeeper position but 
he got mad and walked off. His brother apologized for him and said he gets 
pissed every time almonds and bees are brought up.

The above is an example of interviews I have LEFT OUT of am almond articles.

My bees and the bees of Bell Hill Honey were in poor shape due to the 
drought in August. I fed mine three pollen patties each and  light syrup 
all fall. They still had smaller clusters than I like so we headed north 
and depopulated 350 hives and brought the bees back and shook into the weak 
hives. Now most lood good.

None of the beekeepers in my article last spring are going to almonds 
except for Jerry Brown. We have heard his bees were moved into the Dakota's 
from texas Tallow locations to make honey. We heard later many crashed and 
the rest were in poor shape. I got the information from a reliable source.

Marion Ellis ( Nebraska) told us at the fall Midwestern Beekeepers meeting 
that around 3,000 hives died from lack of water and temps way over 100 F.in 
North Dakota. First time he had ever heard of the problem.

I suspect other problems were involved also but only speculation on my part.

Sincerely,
Bob Harrison
 

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