40 Almond Facts
JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2015
The Bee Box
CHRISTI HEINTZ
& TARA MCCALL
Bees in almonds – not something you worried too much
about many years ago. A mere 10 years ago, honey bee
colony rental fees in almonds were about $75 per colony.
With growers paying an average of $168 in 2014 and facing
$185 per colony in 2015, according to the California State
Beekeepers Association 2014 Pollination Survey, honey
bees and pollination weather are top-of-mind subjects for
the almond grower. With decent pollination weather that
includes ample opportunities for suffcient bee-fight hours,
your trees will set a good crop. But if the Central Valley
sees rain, dense fog and cold temperatures for an extended
period during the February-March pollination season, worry
sets in. During these times any break in the weather has to
allow maximum pollination potential by the approximately
32 billion honey bees poised to do the job.
What can we do to make sure bees exhibit the health and
vitality necessary to do their work in the almond orchards?
Fortunately we now have a comprehensive guide. The
Almond Board of California, in partnership with several
California beekeepers, Paramount Farming Company, the
California Department of Pesticide Regulation, EPA, the
University of California Extension and Project Apis m.,
recently released “Honey Bee Best Management Practices
for California Almonds.” These Best Management Practices
(or BMPs) are based upon the many years of experience of
these partners and the latest scientifc research available.
Project Apis m. has been funding Dr. Reed Johnson, Ohio State
University, in an on-going study of the impact of fungicides
and insect growth regulators (IGRs) on the various life stages of
the honey bee. Dr. Johnson has documented compromised bee
development and reduced survival rates for honey bees when
exposed to IGRs, including difubenzuron (Dimilin 2L). He is
also looking at the potential negative effects of methoxyfenozide
(Intrepid 2F) and chlorantraniliprole (Altacor) on bee
development. In addition to this study, there have been many
observations that bee activity ceases for up to 24 hours after
the spraying of fungicides due to the repellent odor effect. This
research has been key to the development of these BMPs.
The frst BMP of the comprehensive guide addresses
communication. Good communication between beekeeper
and grower is essential. The communication chain might
also include a bee broker, a farm manager, the County
Agricultural Commissioner, Pest Control Advisors (PCAs)
Apply fungicides in the late
afternoon, evening, or at night
when bees and pollen are not
present. Photo by Christi Heintz