Release time on Bees

[loggermike]

Ours are still in the orchards.I went down and fed some last week. My impression in spot checking them is that you couldn't jam another bee into them!
I don't foresee any shortage of bees , but queens will be another story.
The almonds themselves need some sunny weather to grow.

[Bud Dingler]

I sure am glad I'm not one of those nervous Midwest or eastcoast guys watching my honey crop or next pollination check disappear by the minute with bees locked up in some grove in California.

Uh what? most of the upper midwest is covered with remnants of snow, rivers and lakes totally iced in yet. We have not even seen the first pollen loads coming in yet.

First pollination here even with an early bloom is first week of May for apples. No real honey crop til June either.

[HarryVanderpool]

Our bees were released last Thursday. Had to cancel the truck due to mud.
Looking at Accuweather Its rain, rain, rain for ever.
We need bees for peaches within 7 - 10 days here in Oregon.
Next project; design a helecopter sling that will securly fit pallets.

[loggermike]

Bringing hives on the brink of swarming, out of the almonds and setting them in the snow is a sure fire swarm control technique.

[Tom G. Laury]

Great bee moving weather I don't like to work at night any more than necessary.

[Tom G. Laury]

Bud, a lot of the big honey producers are down in Texas right now, itching to get their bees back ASAP for making nucs and raising queens. Any delays interfere with timing as they need to be mating queens during the first half of April for mid June honeyflow. Florida bees have already missed the orange and palmetto is coming soon.

[mnbeekeeper]

tom sure has that right. waiting in tx.

[queenking]

saw bees bringing a little pollen in the otherday.

[suttonbeeman]

Just cancelled two trucks due to load out tomorrow night. Mud mud mud. Hopefully by end of weeks we will get out. but suppose to rain all week. we wanted to make splits and palmetto is coming soon

[Honey-4-All]

Bud, a lot of the big honey producers are down in Texas right now, itching to get their bees back ASAP for making nucs and raising queens. Any delays interfere with timing as they need to be mating queens during the first half of April for mid June honeyflow. Florida bees have already missed the orange and palmetto is coming soon.

Tom. Thanks for the backup. At least someone understood what I meant. Hate to be pessimistic but its my bet that honey production this year is going to be hindered by late release from the almonds and lack of queens produced in a timely manner. Time will tell.

[Tom G. Laury]

We have a Situation Saturation here in California. Been raining steady for 10 hours here in Fresno. Dad says the creek is higher than ever this year.

[Keith Jarrett]

Dad says the creek is higher than ever this year.

Hope Dad is doing OK.

[Ted Kretschmann]

After reading the thread,Thank God I am not pollinating in Cali this year. Got enough gray hairs. TK

[HarryVanderpool]

Rufus LaLone provides the most reliable long range forecasts that many of us rely on.
His updates are on Mondays and Fridays.
Here is the latest. Read and Weep:

http://www.ovs.com/weather_cafe.htm

[peacekeeperapiaries]

Florida bees have already missed the orange and palmetto is coming soon.

Yep, the orange is about done...bout a week left in some groves....lets hope for a palmetto bloom this year...the past 2 years we have not had a palmetto here in central FL

[Honey-4-All]

Latest headlines from California.



Raincoat sales up.

Package be gross income tanks at local apiaries. Worse than previous tracheal mite induced border closures.

Tow truck companies stocks gain on stuck bee truck news.

Drones go on strike for better working conditions, new condoms.

Flatbed truck industry heads east leaving bees waddling in mud.

Mann lake syrup sales increase to point where Jack buys Guatemalan sugar cane industry instead of 5th diamond necklace for Betty.

New naming scheme for weather fronts include the ubiquitous term "queen excluder"

Texas beekeeper at Bakersfield bar repeats famous line "never again," Florida dude seconds the motion chased by gallon of rotgut.

Norcal queen raiser play the fifth round of "the incubator game" in two weeks after consultation with weatherman.

[alpha6]

We have gotten a couple of truck loads out with a mix of results. One was rejects which were about half dead outs and half needing to be split. (guess they were in the bottom during inspections or just late bloomers...who knows). Hives ranged from heavy to medium. Seems all were able to come back with some decent stores. Right now we are hearing that some areas have been released but it is so boggy they can't get in to get the bees out...so if more rain is in the forecast it could delay shipments back and this is hurting those who have pollination contracts with apricots and peaches in this area as farmers are looking for their bees "now".

I haven't checked, but I suspect that all the rain is also going to effect the queen production for those needing late March and early April queens. Hopefully there will be enough sun between storms to allow for good mating flights.

[Tom G. Laury]

by end of weeks we will get out.

Hopefully it won't be that long.