THE BEE PHOTOGRAPHER

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At Bob Harvey’s apiary in West Palm Beach, Florida: preparation of the hives and an inspection to detect the presences of ants on the hive’s pallets. Insecticide was sprayed on the ground fifteen day ago and the pallets cleaned with a high-pressure water cleaner.

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At Bob Harvey’s apiary in West Palm Beach, Florida, the team of scientists from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture carries out a sampling of bees and larvae and installs the measuring instruments for monitoring thermal and hydrometric variations inside the 12 hives and exterior variations during the journey. 12 control hives remain in FL.
Jeff Pettis holds in his hand samplings from the bees.

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At Bob Harvey’s apiary in West Palm Beach, Florida, the team of scientists from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Here, Jeff Pettis shows us a reading from a larva frame.

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At Bob Harvey’s apiary in West Palm Beach, Florida, the team of scientists from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture carries out a sampling of bees and larvae and installs the measuring instruments to monitor thermal and hydrometric variations inside the 12 hives and exterior variations during the journey.

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Dennis van Engelsdorp from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture carries out testing of 10 to 11 day old and 19 to 20 day old pupae for a study of their proteins. In the case of stress, the pupae produce certain specific proteins.

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At Dave Hackenberg’s apiary near Wanchula, Florida: preparation of the hives for the migration.

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Dave Hackenberg.

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At Dave Hackenberg’s apiary near Wanchula, Florida: preparation of the hives for the migration.

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At Dave Hackenberg’s apiary near Wanchula, Florida, loading the 444 hives before departure.

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At Dave Hackenberg’s apiary.

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Dave Hackenberg, here at his apiary before the departure of the hives, directs the truck drivers by telephone. During fifteen days, his 2500 hives will set off in different convoys for California. Three days of traveling when anything can happen.

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Dave Hackenberg, here at his apiary before the departure of the hives, directs the truck drivers by telephone. During fifteen days, his 2500 hives will set off in different convoys for California. Three days of traveling when anything can happen.

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Before departure, the hives are fitted out with water supplies to allow the bees to survive during the three-day trip. Sugar as well as pollen (proteins) is also placed in the hives.

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Before departure, the hives are fitted out with water supplies to allow the bees to survive during the three-day trip. Sugar as well as pollen (proteins) is also placed in the hives.

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At nightfall, the hives are put in the truck. The beekeepers usually load the hives in the evening because most of the bees will have returned for the night.

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At nightfall, the hives are put in the truck. A beekeeper fills the entrance to the hives with smoke to calm the aggressiveness of the guardian bees.

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At nightfall, the hives are put in the truck with a forklift. Modern apiculture is palletized; it can manage considerable stock, numerous migrations...

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At nightfall, the hives are put in the truck with a forklift. Modern apiculture is palletized; it can manage considerable stock, numerous migrations...

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At nightfall, the hives are put in the truck with a forklift. Modern apiculture is palletized; it can manage considerable stock, numerous migrations...

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At nightfall, the hives are put in the truck with a forklift. Modern apiculture is palletized; it can manage considerable stock, numerous migrations... Dave Hackenberg climbs onto the hives to install protective netting that will prevent the bees from leaving their hive during the long journey to the West Coast.

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At nightfall, 444 hives are put in the truck’s trailer with a forklift.

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Last check of the load before departure.

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Installing protective netting over the trailer truck.

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David Hackenberg’s team straps up this strange cargo before departure.

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David Hackenberg with the health inspector from the Florida Department of Agriculture receiving the inspection certificate for his load. This certificate attests that no ants are present in the load and may be useful during the trip to California.

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David Hackenberg, 59 years old, Linda his wife and their son Dave Hackenberg, in their home in Dade City, Florida. His business is also based in New Jersey. Professional beekeeper, he owns 2500 hives. He has been practicing pollination in California for 12 years. Dave has become, despite himself, the spokesman for professional American beekeepers after having suffered in 2004 the first important loss of hives due to Colony Collapse Disorder.

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Departure at nightfall of the truckload of hives. Rich, the driver will make a first stop sometime at night and the rest of the journey will be made during the day.

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In the early morning, Rich prepares for a 14-hour drive without a break.

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On the road in Florida, the truck does 55 miles per hour, 970 miles per day. Every minute counts; at 25 cents per mile, Rich can hope for a tip of $500 if he makes the trip in three days.

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Arizona, the truck takes Interstate 40 further to the north to protect its precious load from too high temperatures. The bees enclosed in their hives have difficulty regulating through their usual ventilation the colony’s temperature. That can be fatal.

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Arizona, the truck takes Interstate 40 further to the north to protect its precious load from too high temperatures. The bees enclosed in their hives have difficulty regulating through their usual ventilation the colony’s temperature. That can be fatal.

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In the Mojave Desert, the trucks take the I40. Snow on the mountains reminds us that winter is in full swing.

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This year there were many snowstorms and the trucks belonging to Brad Campbell, beekeeper in Texas and North Dakota, were stranded on the roads.

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On the road, hundreds of trucks full of hives participate in this exceptional migration. Almond farmers in the San Joaquin Valley need 1,500,000 hives for a good pollination.

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Arriving at nightfall, from the Golden Hills we can see in the distance the San Joaquin Valley stretching into the horizon.

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Inspection of hives at the Californian border to check for ants.

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Inspection of hives at the Californian border to check for ants. Here, a truck has been stopped and the load has to be cleaned.

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The trucks arrived during the night. In the early morning, they wait in the hotel’s parking lot before the unloading. In Lost Hills, as in all the small towns along the Interstate 5, beekeepers from around the country unload their hives and set them up on the thousands of hectares of almond tree orchards.

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Rich, David Hackenberg’s driver, can finally have breakfast after 90 hours of non-stop traveling.

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Lost Hills: the unloading of Brad Campbell’s hives.

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Three trucks arrived during the night. More than 1200 hives to unload and inspect before taking them to the orchards.
In the distance, the almond trees in the orchards are bare. It is a desert as concerns flowers and the bees have to live another three weeks on their reserves.

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Three trucks arrived during the night. More than 1200 hives to unload and inspect before taking them to the orchards.
In the distance, the almond trees in the orchards are bare. It is a desert as concerns flowers and the bees have to live another three weeks on their reserves.

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Inspection of the hives one by one. The price per hive paid by the almond farmers differs depending on the number of the population in the hive. There has to be at least five frames to be paid at all.

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Brad Campbell from North Dakota keeps 12,000 hives with his father-in-law, mainly for honey production. He shows the height that the hives can reach with their honey supers by the end of summer.

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The unloading of the 1200 hives begins under a winter sun. Finally freed, millions of bees fly around in all directions for a cleansing flight.

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The unloading of the 1200 hives begins under a winter sun. Finally freed, millions of bees fly around in all directions for a cleansing flight.

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Finally freed, millions of bees fly around in all directions for a cleansing flight. To facilitate the task, one of Brad Campbell’s Mexican employees joyfully sends out smoke.

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They take the tarp off the trailer and the bees fly around in all directions.

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Hives line up as far as the eye can see in front of the bare orchards.

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Millions of bees fly around in all directions for a cleansing flight.

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Unloading hundreds of hives.

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The unloading of the 1200 hives begins under a winter sun. Finally freed, millions of bees fly around in all directions for a cleansing flight.

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The unloading of the 1200 hives begins under a winter sun. Finally freed, millions of bees fly around in all directions for a cleansing flight. Smoke is sent off to tranquilize the guardian bees.

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The unloading of the 1200 hives begins under a winter sun. Finally freed, millions of bees fly around in all directions for a cleansing flight. Smoke is sent off to tranquilize the guardian bees.