Attended QBA state conference last week and was chatting to a lot of guys from out Toowoomba way, absolutely nothing out there and they are moving them as fast as they can if they get a sniff of something flowering anywhere from NSW to up beyond Bundaberg to put the bees on to keep them going.
A big pollinator from down VIC was trying to get more pollinators from up here for Almonds as they will have shortage of over 100,000 hives. They are paying $117 per hive, told him that they need to start paying more like $280 then they will get the hives, the growers here still don't appreciate the value of the bees. Same in NZ a lifetime ago, Kiwifruit orchards were paying $50 now it is $300, they now know their crop depends on the bees and it is factored in as an expense just like the sprays, labour, packing trays you name it. US hives get $300 plus for Almonds.
All very well planting 1000's of hectares of trees for almonds and sitting down and calculating how much money you are going to make and not considering paying for the bees....they will come round when they don't get the crop tonnage.
I'm afraid some of the guys I spoke to haven't really done the numbers of shifting their hives down there, running their own trucks labour, feeding to get them ready for pollination. Their argument was "Well it pays my expenses for the season" I'm not saying they aren't smart businessmen.......buuut.
Meant to turn a bit chilly here tomorrow top of 18 and breezy. The girls will stay home and read a book or whatever they do when they don't go out!