"I felt violated," said Strehlow, a commercial beekeeper who has grown Strehlow Bees Inc. into one of the largest beekeeping operations in the U.S. "Quite likely it's another beekeeper, and that's what really stings about it: beekeepers stealing from other beekeepers."
Late winter is a critical time of year for beekeepers and the Central Valley orchards that rent their services. Pollination of the vast acreage dedicated to almonds alone requires many millions of bees. In Fresno County, where almonds have long been a top crop, yielding more than a billion dollars in annual revenue, bees are an important asset in the local economy.
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