With trees in bloom and bees buzzing throughout the orchard, growers and all pollination stakeholders should be aware of practices and strategies that balance bee and crop health.
In addition to the Almond Board’s Honey Bee Best Management Practices (BMPs) recommendations on pest control decisions and materials, the BMPs also lay out considerations for hive removal timing and steps to take if a pesticide-related bee incident is suspected.
According to University of California recommendations, bee removal should occur when 90% of the latest variety is at petal fall. At this point, pollination in orchards is complete, and bees may roam up to 4 miles looking for alternative forage, potentially coming into contact with insecticide-treated crops outside the orchard. Growers should work with beekeepers and bee brokers to ensure that bees stay in the orchard for the necessary length of time to ensure optimal pollination, but also to be sure that the hives don’t languish outside of orchards far beyond bloom.
Observe Pollinators
Throughout the bloom season, as growers, farm managers and PCAs monitor orchards, they should also keep an eye on pollinator activity. If they observe excessive numbers of dead and dying adult bees in front of hives, dead brood (immature developing bees) and/or dead newly emerged workers at hive entrances, or a lack of foraging bees or lethargic foragers under conditions in which they would normally be active, a report should be filed with the local county agricultural commissioner’s office, as this may indicate a pesticide-related incident.
In reporting, take note of conditions leading up to a suspected event, including prevailing winds, as well as details on suspected compounds. Beekeepers should also report treatments that have been applied to the hives, along with other details. Bee health concerns cannot be addressed without the data from these incidents.
More detailed guidelines on hive removal and reporting suspected bee health incidents are available through the BMP guide and related “Honey Bee BMP” materials.
