For Immediate Release
October 25, 2005
For More Information:
Christy Quaresma
(209) 343-3218
cquaresma@almondboard.com
Almond Industry Committed to Facilitating Increased Bee Supply
(Modesto, Calif., October 25) — The Almond Board of California (ABC) hosted a
“Honey Bees and Red Imported Fire Ants (RIFA) Seminar” bringing together almond
industry members, government officials, pollination researchers and beekeepers
to find solutions to facilitate the transport of bees to California for almond
pollination. At this October 12, 2005 seminar, the California Department of
Food and Agriculture, (CDFA), in response to feedback by beekeepers and the
almond industry, launched the idea of a pilot voluntary apiary certification
program to minimize the time and complications at border inspections. Shipments
of bees could be inspected and issued RIFA-free certification from a regulatory
official in their state of origin prior to departure which would expedite
inspections at the California border.
“Obtaining this type of certification reduces the risk of delays or denials to
out-of-state beekeepers in transporting their hives as well as provides added
security that almond growers will receive the pollination services that are
needed to produce the number one agricultural export in California,” states
Chris Heintz, Director of Production Research and Environmental Affairs for the
ABC.
The California almond industry currently requires an estimated two-thirds of the
nation’s available bee supply during the short period of bloom every February
and March. That need is growing with every new acre of almonds planted in
California. At the same time, the availability of healthy pollinators is being
reduced by varroa mites, diseases and California border restrictions.
“We need to pull our best minds together to identify some short- and long- term
answers and get sufficient numbers of healthy bees to California to pollinate
the almond crop,” stated Dr. Gloria DeGrandi-Hoffman, a prominent pollination
researcher from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Agricultural
Research Service in Arizona. Dr. Hoffman is spearheading research on
controlling varroa mite, an insect that is drastically reducing the number of
healthy pollinators, as well as conducting research on many other aspects of
honey bee biology.
After a review of ABC-sponsored pollination research, the seminar focused on
RIFA, a pest of concern for California border officials. These ants can be
inadvertently transported across state lines via apiary shipments. While RIFAs
have been found in scattered portions of the state, CDFA is striving to limit
the exposure of these ants to California, which have infested the lower United
States, including Texas. John Hooper, program supervisor of the Pest Detection
and Emergency Projects branch of the CDFA urged almond growers to report
suspected RIFA infestations in their orchard. “Surveying the state for the
presence of these ants is an impossible task for our workforce. We rely on
residents to notify us of large numbers aggressive ants or suspicious mounds
that may house these pests,” noted Hooper.
CDFA has traditionally operated with a zero tolerance policy of detaining or
denying beekeepers access in to California when an ant is found in the
shipment. Out of 2400 apiary shipments to California, 30 were delayed or
rejected at border stations in 2004.
While this number of rejections is relatively low, the threat of transporting
thousands of bees across the country only to be turned away for a single ant
discourages many from attempting and therefore limits the available supply to
almond growers. Beekeepers also object to this policy since worker ants cannot
reproduce and therefore may not pose a significant danger.
Under the proposed certification program only exterior colonies and pallets
would be inspected for RIFA at the California border and those with five or less
worker ants would be allowed to continue to their destination and unload without
county supervision. Beekeepers are advised to arrive at stations during
standard business hours in order to ensure that a taxonomist can conduct a
digital identification of the ant species found on a load. This type of
inspection could save beekeepers considerable time in unpredictable delays at
the California borders. Beekeepers are encouraged to ask their local officials
regarding participation in this program. For more information contact CDFA,
Pest Exclusion Branch at (916) 653-1440 or click on “Pollination” at
www.AlmondBoard.com.
The Almond Board of California administers a grower-enacted Federal Marketing
Order under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture.
Established in 1950, the Board’s charge is to promote the best quality almonds,
California’s largest tree nut crop. For more information on the Almond Board of
California or almonds, visit
www.AlmondBoard.com.