Massive Loss Of Thousands Of Hives Afflicts Orchard Growers And Beekeepers

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February 19th, 2019

Bret Adee, a third-generation beekeeper who owns one of the largest beekeeping companies in the U.S., lost half of his hives — about 50,000 — over the winter. He pops the lid on one of the hives to show off the colony ins

Greta Mart / KCBX

Almond bloom comes nearly all at once in California — a flush of delicate pale blooms that unfold around Valentine’s Day.

And beekeeper Bret Adee is hustling to get his hives ready, working through them on a Central Valley ranch before placing them in orchards.

He deftly tap-taps open a hive. “We’re gonna open this up, and you’re going to see a whole lot of bees here,” Adee says.

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