In a message dated 97-12-12 11:51:17 EST, [log in to unmask] (Ron Bogansky)
writes:
 
<< I told him I would post it to the list for some good suggestions.  I
 relayed the unfortunate story of Mr. Ford and his vandalized hives last
 year.  I know there are a number of things to consider and he will not jump
 into this blindly.  He just thought it would be a way to capitalize on his
 equipment and the new free time he will have and may be have a little "fun".
  He would not be moving a large number of colonies, probably less than 20 to
 start.  Any information or suggestions would be appreciated.  If someone
 would rather contact me away from the list that would be OK, although this
 may provide some good information that could benefit others. >>
 
    Gary Ford (not to say anything bad about him) made some beginner-type
mistakes, that would have been avoided, if he had worked more with established
beekeepers. Of course that can backfire, if the established beekeepers tend to
think they have proprietary secrets or exclusive claims on large areas, or are
just generally SOB's.  A newbie has to find out who is willing to encourage
and aid them in their quest. Knowledge costs something to gain, whether it is
in a land-grant university, a library, or the "University of the Seat of the
Pants." The expense can be reduced, if one can gain the assistance of
experienced helpers.
 
   Tip #1 (for newbies, re: Gary Ford and the vandals):   If you are going to
experience vandalism in a location, it's a 95% probability it will happen in
the first year. So don't put a lot of bees in a risky spot, until the locals
have had a chance to get used to the idea.
 
   We've tried to be of assistance to the migratories here. Some are loners
who work pretty much by themselves. Others come by for visits now and then.
And others buy syrup from us, get locations from us, use our shop facilities,
and sell us honey, etc. We enjoy the folks who do bring bees in from the
northeast. In my humble opinion, there is room for more; some local beekeepers
would dispute that, such as one who tries to claim fifty miles of one of the
rivers (probably over 50,000 acres of prime forage area) for his 250 hives.
 
    If your friend wants to try South Carolina, suggest to him to get in
contact with me, as I'll be glad to share with him some of the info that helps
get established in a new area, such as how to avoid conflict with established
beekeepers, where bears and forest fires are worst, what forage plants to look
for, where to find pallets, etc., etc., etc.
 
    We've always felt that other beekeepers are not so much in competition, as
are natural allies. And the few places where there is competition, it usually
is friendly, not cut-throat. There are exceptions.
 
   Tip #2  I probably should charge for the information that I am about to
share. But the concept is available to anyone who notices it, so I guess I
can't:
 
   There is a zone along the southeast US coast that I call the Zone of Golden
Pollen. It runs in a band forty to sixty miles wide, parallel to the ocean. It
starts somewhat inland, not including the near coastal area, which tend to be
sandy pine forests, bays and salt marshes (lots of mosquito spraying, too). It
runs from southern Virginia across the Carolinas and Georgia to the Gulf
States.
 
   If you do not believe such a zone exists, take a map and mark down all the
southeastern queen breeders. While there are a few outside the zone, most will
either fall into it, or move their bees to it for spring queen rearing. And
the many of the commercial migratories will winter in this zone.
 
   Note that Florida is not within this zone. Yet more migratories probably go
to Florida that to this zone. In south Florida, you tend to think that it is
forever summer, you'd expect bees to be ripping strong with such mild weather.
But you can feed all kinds of syrup to the bees in January with little
buildup; the pollen is just not there in sufficient quantity or quality.
 
   So the Florida guys get mild winters with the bees sustained, slow but
steady spring build up and the CITRUS crop.  The last is the clincher for many
beekeepers.
 
   Other southeastern (Golden Pollen Zone) beekeepers get winters a little bit
harsher, but explosive spring buildup, with the capability of raising a lot of
bees/queens.
 
    So, if you are thinking of migrating, look over Florida, if you want
citrus honey; look over this Zone of Golden Pollen, if you want more bees in
the spring. That doesn't preclude Florida for raising bees and queens, and
there are some real good breeders there, but generally I am not impressed with
Florida queens, and I think they are a bit limited by the available pollen
sources.
 
    And for those who want the benefits of migrating with little of the work,
send down your nuc boxes with comb to us. We'll make nucs with your comb. You
come get them in the spring, and you'll have some very reasonably priced nucs.
By January 1, the traveling bees have gone south, and there will be empty or
half loaded trucks running down, as beekeepers go to check on their bees, so
you should be able to find cheap trucking for the nuc boxes.
 
   If I were a northeastern beekeeper with family or other committments that
made migration impossible, this option would look quite attractive to me. Of
course for a retiree, migration is a beautiful option. Soak up rays all
winter, get an early spring with the bees, then go north and repeat spring all
over again.  Ahhhhh.....
 
   Traveling with a load of bees is not a good idea for the faint hearted (or
angina afflicted), however.
 
   (By the way, we now have gasoline available locally at 94.9 for regular
unleaded. That's another plus for South Carolina.)
 
[log in to unmask]     Dave Green  Hemingway, SC  USA
The Pollination Scene:  http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html
 
Jan's Sweetness and Light Shop    (Varietal Honeys and Beeswax Candles)
http://users.aol.com/SweetnessL/sweetlit.htm