It's of no benefit to the bees, but the $100/hive that the beekeepers get to truck the hives around the country often forms a large portion of their income. The California almond industry is the biggest user if migratory hives and that won't change any time soon. The San Joaquin valley is is heavily loaded with almond trees that any resident bees would starve after the blooms drop. There's nothing else for miles around.

Not to lend credence to anything that one might read on about.com, but it's not just "bee researchers" that are starting to look at migratory beekeeping with a jaundiced eye. Inspectors are looking more carefully at the truckloads as they cross state lines as well. Trucking them all over the country not only spreads pathogens, but exposes the colony to a witches brew of agricultural chemicals and pesticides. CCD-affected hives tend to exhibit symptoms of any number of bee diseases and parasites, but also residue of dozens of pesticides.

Changed his name, did he?