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  • From: Ryan Chamberlain <rjc7654 AT gmail.com>
  • To: Orange County Beekeeping Association ListServ <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [ocba] Migratory Bees
  • Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2017 19:24:09 -0500

Hello All,

As we look towards Spring, there comes the question of how many and in what form we'd prefer to purchase our bees.  Of course price and timing are of valuable importance, but I've been wondering where we should purchase our bees from.

In my mind the best option would be to split a viable survivor stock from the area, but I know my hives won't sustain as many splits as I'd like to expand and still deliver as much honey as hoped for.  There's the option of swarms of course, but this cannot be counted on to be either reliable or timely.

Packages seem to come from Southern states, most frequently I've heard Georgia.  Packages are a good option, but a good nuc is even better!  On calling local nuc suppliers, I've learned that a good deal of what is available in early Spring tends to be honey bee colonies coming off the migratory pollination circuit.  The time of year means they're coming in from California where they've been busy pollinating the almond groves.  The timing and price are right for these nucs, but are there inherent risks involved with taking on these honey bees?

Are they unduly stressed from the rigors of pollinating and being trucked cross-country?  Would that make them behaviorly different due to some differences in hive management practices?

Is there an increased risk of disease due to the nature of how they are moved, and that they dwell together with higher population densities than what we have in our backyards and apiaries?  (I recall someone linking a study on high concentrations of hives contributing to greater incident rates of disease.)

Does anyone here have any experience with retired migratory colonies?  What did you learn or find out from working with these types of hives?  Was there any perceptable difference at all?

If anyone could share their thoughts on the matter, I would be very appreciative!

As Always, Thank You,
Ryan Chamberlain





  • [ocba] Migratory Bees, Ryan Chamberlain, 01/25/2017

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