Wintering at my place?

[rast]

 Any of ya'll see any problem with letting a commercial winter about 100 hives at my place. He's a 4th generation beekeeper and got the business from his dad who I know well.

[Robo]

Couple  things  I can think of are:

1) Foulbrood or other diseases/pests
2) Robbing your hives
3) Taking foraging areas away from your bees

[pdmattox]

I would not worry to much just make sure you have entrance reducers on before he delivers his bees. You can pick up a lot of good tricks and techniques from some one like that.

[mathispollenators]

Let him if he's been in the business that long his bees are most likely in good shape.  As far as foul brood and such they should have been inspected for that before they are brought to Florida.  Ours bees are inspected and permitted before we move them.  That's just part of the process we commercial guy go through moving bees around the country.  And you can see how he takes care of his bees and pick his brain for information too.  Beside us commercial guys need a few more guys like yourself to help us when you can. 

[rast]

 Thanks for the input, I was/am more concerned with the robbing and foraging than disease. Of course I am highly interested in anything I can learn. He will go south with them to catch the early citrus bloom before the groves here open so that shouldn't be a forage competition. I plan on moving mine into the groves as soon as the pickers are done. A learning experience.

[mathispollenators]

Heck yes that sounds good you may can kinda piggy back with him.  Help and learn from him and he help too in your bees. Usally during the winter the forage is off anyway.  Any you have enough stores for the winter on them or fed them up.  Man Orange Honey I haven't went down for that in years not since the groves seem to have moved 50 miles or better south.   :-D Go up the Citrus Tower now and hope to see an orange tree. :-D  Where are you taking yours?

[Michael Bush]

What's in it for you?  Swarms?  Information? Rent?

[rast]

 Michael, information primarily. Friendship with his father secondary. The first year paid for itself today in education riding around with him teaching me what will build the hives in the precitrus bloom here.
 mathispollenators, Citrus tower? Excuse me please, but us old time locals call that the Yankee tower now. I am about 15 miles west of it. I live next to an orange grove and there are several hundred acres of citrus around me. After the citrus I know a man that that has acres of saw palmetto on it and am going to try to put them there. Seems as though a pound or two of honey sweetens a lot of people up. I haven't paid a dime for the onion sets  or seed in my garden yet this year (1 pint). The red Pontiac potatoes (50 lbs) are a little more. 3 pints this Jan/Feb.
 Its going to depend on whether or not he needs the land as to putting them here or not.
 

[Michael Bush]

If you get to learn a lot out of it, it might be worth it.  Assuming he's already a friend, of course, would play into it.