Farmers expand bee health

Farmers expand bee health

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
Preceding the start of the annual almond pollination season in February, the California almond community is launching a new five-point Pollinator Protection Plan. A collection of important initiatives aimed at protecting bees during almond bloom and beyond, this new plan reaffirms the industry’s long-standing commitment to researching, protecting and improving honey bee health. The health of bees has been a major concern for years as is evidenced by the comments coming from Jay Vroom, president and CEO of CropLife America. Vroom doesn’t believe…. ”I don't think that there is a single, primary concern. All of these stress factors come together and will affect every individual hive in different ways. It is an all of the above set of solutions that need to be addressed. Colony collapse disorder is only one faction of the magnitude of the problem. Some have declared that colony collapse is not the leading concern. Outright bee deaths is much more important than the mysterious colony collapse disorder that is still out there but perhaps not as big a factor as it once was thought to be.

Pollinators are essential to the production of many nutrient rich fruits, vegetables, and nuts, including almonds.1 In fact, every almond that is produced exists because a honey bee pollinated an almond blossom.

“Protecting and improving honey bee health during the short time that bees are in our orchards is critical to the success of every almond farmer. By working with national pollinator organizations, we are also engaging with partners who impact the health of bees during the other ten months that they spend outside of almonds,” said Josette Lewis, PhD, director of Agricultural Affairs at the Almond Board of California

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