Honeybees cluster on top of the frames of an opened hive in an almond orchard Tuesday, February 12, 2013, near Turlock, Calif. Bee brokers, beekeepers and almond growers around the state say there is a shortage of healthy bees for this year’s almond pollination, which starts mid-February. (AP Photo, Gosia Wozniacka)

Bee inspector Neil Trent of Scientific Ag Co., inspects a frame of bees to assess the colony strength Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013, near Turlock, Calif. Trent says some bee hives in the state have weak colonies of bees, spelling a bee shortage in time for almond bloom. (AP Photo, Gosia Wozniacka)

Neil Trent pries opens a bee hive for inspection in an almond orchard Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013, near Turlock, Calif. Trent, who works for Bakersfield-based Scientific Ag Co., says some bee hives in the state have weak colonies of bees, spelling a bee shortage in time for almond bloom. (AP Photo, Gosia Wozniacka)