almond bee supply short?

[jjgbee]

Add in CA paper 40,000 hives for rent. Same guy has add in ABJ wanted to rent 40,000 hives. Almond grower only sees add for hives for rent. Thinks hives are plentiful. At a recent grower forum, growers are talking but not ordering. Hopeing for better price. At a forum last week of beeks from Central CA, they are seeing lots of bad bees. Disapearing syndrome. Poor nutrition last fall. 12 loads of boxes headed east last week. 2005 or worse. One Aussi shipper had $60,000.00 worth of packs smouther. Aussi pack are not being delivered. 2006, worst drought in Australia in years. Thats the way I see it. Don't low ball, supply is probably short.???

[jlyon]

Seems like its about time for folks to "start showing their hands" in this game. I will say that bad news bee stories are always more readily repeated than the guy who is fairly happy with his bees. Personally my bees and those of beekeepers that I am familiar with (totally around 10,000 hives are all in much better condition than they were last year at this time. I think we should all hope for stable prices and enough bees to get the job done. Growers and beekeepers both will benefit by a more cordial and stable relationship but I suppose that is asking too much. In any case the good old law of supply and demand will get the final word.

[MadBowbee]

We are running 500 or so short for our orders. More died than we planned on. I have heard people with extra, some of the bigger brokers. Of course they might being saying there 40,000 extra is the same beekeepers....today in the Fresno Bee though someone had an add for $200 a hive.

[JohnK and Sheri]

Most folks that we are talking to are culling/combining anywhere from 15%-50% of the colonies they took out there, more died than they planned on too. Many were strong hives sent out there that seemed to dwindle very quickly. It isn't clear yet how this relates to final colony numbers, but when I hear of huge outfits losing 50% it makes me wonder how that sort of shortfall can be made up. If I were a grower I would not risk waiting til the last minute, that is for sure.

Further down the road, how will the colony collapses we are hearing about impact other crops that depend of honeybees? I am hearing some blueberry growers are starting to voice concerns, for instance?
While time will tell if this develops into a bee shortage during almonds or other crops, there also seems a possibility of a bee and queen shortage developing this coming spring and summer. A couple queen breeders we talk to have had significant losses of breeding stock and are cutting back production. Too many cases like this combined with the need to increase hive numbers by those that have lost large numbers already could lead to tight supply.
It should be an interesting year ahead!
Sheri

[TwT]

here's a post in a paper today

What's the buzz? Farmers worried about bees

http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_5106980

[Aspera]

Neat article. hehe, i can't believe that there are actually growers left in Chino. They must have stoplights in the orchards.

[loggermike]

Thats Chico,Aspera,haha.Thats where we go .Most of our hives are there getting ready to go in the orchards.Its 67 degrees there right now so the trees will be making up for lost time.

[jean-marc]

I was reading on the other website that Lyle Johnson had his 40 000 hives that he brokers at $200.00 per hive for almonds. He's not a fool so evidently he knows something about the state of colony health across the country. he's evidently betting that many poor hives are out there and that the colonies he brokers are in good shape and worth a whole bunch.

Somebody open the border to Canadian bees,please.

Jean-Marc

[peggjam]

Nothing against Canadians in general, but this should be US beekeeps providing these services, and making the money. Ater all, Canada has kept their borders closed to US package bees despite the fact that they now have mites. Call it protectionism if you want, but we need the income to.

[JohnK and Sheri]

Jean-Marc
On what other website did you read this about $200 colonies, please?
Sheri

[jean-marc]

I read it on Bee-L. Peggjam I understand what you are saying. i for one would like to see u.S. hives in canada if we could go to almonds.

Jean-Marc

[peggjam]

It sure would help if we could cross boder, but we (US) just seem to give our jobs away, and get nothing in return to replace them. Almonds is the one thing US beekeeps can do and make a little money at it. I'm not sure if I will ever do almonds, but would like the chance to be there if I so choose to do so.

[loggermike]

http://dwb.fresnobee.com/classifieds/petslivestock/poultry_rabbits_bees/
tongue.gif

[peggjam]

And the plot thickens.....LOL

[John Lockhart]

Ok guys, I sometimes read this forum, but rarely reply to it because I have better things to do. But this one I have to. I live about 30 miles from Lyle Johnston when he is in Colorado. (note the T in the last name)I bought my outfit from his brother Larry in the early '80s. I talk to both of them almost every week. They set 60000 hives in the almonds not 40. They set there price at $140 a while ago, and unless something has changed since I last talked to them (Friday) Thats where the price is. They had a few really good hives they were going to save out to try to get more money for, but it was only a few thousand, and I'm not sure they held them out. Some of thier beeks had lost a lot of hives, and some had not. They said they thought they had enough bees to cover the contracts they have. The talk of $200 bees is most likely just that. Talk. There may be a few guys who get that much, but it is not going to be 40000 hives.

[jjgbee]

Did some one call the tele # in the Fresno Bee add and get Lyle on the other end?

[loggermike]

I think the key words in the ad are " for almond growers who felt bees would be cheap in Feb. "
Hahahahah......

[Paul Millns]

Hi

I'm reading this subject from acrosss the pond in the England and I am just amazed at the scale of the USA hive rental business. Can I just get somes things straight. A beekeeping business can have 60,000 hives and rent them to almond grower for $140 a hive which means that the hives gross him $8.4 million, and then later, he can rent them to another grop grower at the same or different price. I admire a company that can handle 60,000 hives and believe you earn your money well. All the best with the season and maybe one day I'll see this operation for myself

[ January 30, 2007, 07:49 AM: Message edited by: Paul Millns ]

[JohnK and Sheri]

Paul
The 60000 hives are not owned, just being handled during almond pollination by this broker. The hives come from owners all over the country and this outfit handles the contract details, takes them off the trucks, moves them into almonds then ships them back to their owners at the end of pollination. Still not an easy thing to do on this scale.
Sheri

[TwT]

Im not sure how it all works but a broker is the only way I would consider pollination in California, I dont have the time are resources to do it myself.....maybe one day I might have enough hives for a truck load then I would research and find the best broker from people in here or from experienced pollinators, there are a few that deal with a broker every year... if the broker is good and has a good reputation then I wouldn't mind if he charges a higher price, they work for it.....my main responsibility would be to have the hives and paper work ready when the truck arrives.

[D. Murrell]

Hi Guys,

Richard Adee is one beekeeper who has 60,000 hives of his own. He's on one end of the commercial scale.

In my area, commercial beeks have 2500 to 5000. Those who run commercial bees on the side or without any hired help have around a thousand.

Essentially all of them are migratory and it's a very risky business. It's one thing to multiply x000 hives times $150/hive. It's another thing to collect it. I know of an instance where some money is still owed to a beekeeper for pollination done two years ago.

Regards
Dennis

[ January 30, 2007, 10:24 AM: Message edited by: D. Murrell ]

[JohnK and Sheri]

If the rumors of him having a 50% loss are true, Richard is well shy of 60000 this year. For his sake I hope there was some exaggeration on his losses. Can you imagine trying to make 30000 nucs in one year? :eek:
Sheri

[Kieck]

The only place I've heard rumors of Adee Honey Farms experiencing a 50% loss is on this forum. If I get a chance one of these days, I'll ask him about it.

Last time Richard gave me an estimate of the number of hives he was running, he claimed to have about 85,000. With numbers like that, though, I imagine his number of colonies varies considerably even during the year.

[ron c]

When these bees are all shipped and placed for pollination, who is responsible for suppering,maint.,etc? Ron

[jean-marc]

ron c:

Beekeeper owns the hives, therefore he is responsible for his hives unless. i don't think hives are suppered during almond pollination,could be wrong. Usually 8 frames going in so the second box should provide room for growth.

Jean-Marc

[Star G]

Didn't anybody but me notice that first news article in the Woodland News Democrat said "...production of nearly 1 billion pounds of almonds annually - a value of $2.2 million for the state's growers who maintain approximately 550,000 bearing acres of almonds." ??

Dang!! Only $4 an acher for all their work?? Those farmers should grow jerusalem artichokes, instead!! Only $0.002 a pound for their almond crop??

:)

[jdb5949]

Yes, I noticed it. I assume the journalists got the details wrong as usual.

The Feb issue of Bee Culture has an article on the status of pollinators in North America. That article states that average almond yields in 2004 were 1 ton per acre and prices ranging from $1-$2 per pound.

[jjgbee]

that was 2004. the average is around 2000# per acre at 2.50 per# in 2006. Some new plantings are touting 3500# per acre and the price of almonds is about as consistent as the price of honey. In 2004 there was no real reason for almonds to be down to 1.50, but the buyers drove it there. Now on to bee supply. 125 hives stolen from yard on hwy 46, west of I-5.

[loggermike]

Any ID on the boxes or frames? I think it would be good if any one has hives stolen to put out a description or post a picture. Since all of us doing pollination will be around the orchards frequently we can keep an eye out.
Details of 'train wrecks ' continue to circulate in Cal.The supply of 8 framers is looking tighter by the day.

[jean-marc]

Wow, it makes me wonder how long growers will tolerate this situation. I suppose that if supply comes up short this year, which is sounding kinda likely then they will have to address the supply side issue. What kind of answers they come up with will be interesting to watch.

Jean-Marc

[TwT]

heres another article..

http://www.chicoer.com/oroville/ci_5131126

[MichelleB]

Really bad writing, but it's good to see coverage of the struggles beekeepers are facing. Though I wonder if all this publicity about the price of colony rental is generating more incentive for theft?

[MadBowbee]

I noticed yesterday along the 99 on the Fresno/Madera county line crossing the San Joaquin River bridge someone had 3-400 nucs spread out earlier there and now there gone and packages are in there place. Pretty late getting Australian packages so close to almond bloom. I wonder what they're getting paid for them.