The Economics of Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Management and Overwintering Strategies for Colonies Used to Pollinate Almonds

Commercial honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies significantly contribute to agricultural productivity through crop pollination. Almond production requires the most colonies because there are more than a million acres of orchards that require cross-pollination for nut set. With the rising costs of managing and transporting colonies to almond orchards combined with the high colony losses beekeepers routinely experience, we asked if renting...