Tips To Help Secure A Good Beekeeper Agreement
February 3, 2016 Pollination is one of the most important aspects of almond growing, and this time of year, making sure you have a good beekeeper agreement in place is paramount.
Danielle Veenstra, senior specialist in agricultural and environmental affairs for the Almond Board of California, says a pollination contract creates an opportunity for growers and beekeepers to get on the same page, particularly related to pesticide plans. She adds that growers may want to include their PCAs in these conversations, too.
“It’s just to make sure that everyone’s comfortable with the materials that might be used, and you can talk about notifications,” she says. “Should a treatment be deemed necessary, that beekeeper may want advanced notice.”
Hive removal timing is another important consideration. There’s a fine line when it comes to timing removal, and growers have to be comfortable with removing bees even if there are still a few blossoms left in the orchard.
Veenstra says she suspects that a 2014 bee health scare was partly a result of some hives being left in orchards too long. When bees aren’t removed and there are no blooms left, they will travel elsewhere for forage – as far as 4 miles, according to Veenstra. “In doing that, they come into contact with other crops that may have other pest control materials harmful to bees,” she says.
Communication Is Key
Once a beekeeper contract is completed, it’s important for the grower to communicate that information with the rest of the pollination stakeholders. “Make sure if you agree on a certain application timing of material, that information is shared with your farm manager, pest control advisor, and applicator, all the way up and down the chain, so that everyone is aware of what was agreed upon in the contract,” Veenstra says.
When The Rain Comes
With a wet winter anticipated, fungal diseases can be a concern. Application of disease control materials should be carefully timed during bloom to ensure bee health. Apply fungicides only in the late afternoon or evening when bees and pollen aren’t present, Veenstra says.
As a courtesy, you should also notify your local county ag commissioner to give advanced notice to beekeepers who have managed hives nearby. “That’s a recommendation that goes year-round,” Veenstra says.
Report Suspicious Bee Behavior
If a grower sees bees acting dazed or unhealthy, it could be because of a pesticide-related incident, and Veenstra recommends reporting it to the county ag commissioner as soon as possible. “A lot of these things have happened, and reports haven’t been made,” she says. “Without the data and investigation that would follow, we can’t identify truly what the problem was in that instance and provide a strong solution. We really encourage growers and everybody involved in pollination that if you see something wrong, to please report it and get the data so we can prevent things like this from happening in the future.”
The Almond Board has a full list of Bee Best Management Practices available on its website, and Project Apis m offers a pollination contract template to help get you started.
Subscribe Today For
