<p style="text-indent:0px; line-height:12px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">California-</span><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">By ANUK Staff<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">2.25.13</p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><p><img src="https://cdn.andnowuknow.com/legacyWriterImages/beetn022513b.jpg" alt="Croppedimages022513" /><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Bee numbers may be tight this year, potentially causing a decrease in fruit and almond production in California.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Extension apicurist at the University of California, Davis, Eric Mussen, said there may not be enough honey bees to pollinate this year’s crop of 800,000 acres of almonds statewide.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Noble Apiaries owner, Phil Hofland, said the demand for bee hives is higher than ever with more almond orchards popping up in Northern California. He said he doesn't blame the farmers for trying to capitalize on the increase in sale prices for almonds.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Hofland continues to work with other researchers to breed disease-resistant bees to increase their hardiness, making them less susceptible to diseases and pests detrimental to their health. These bee afflictions in turn have an effect on crop yield for farmers.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Hofland notes that bee owners from out of state are having a hard time crossing the California border, further complicating the issue. Inspections and fees have recently increased the prices on shipments significantly.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Solano County Agricultural Commissioner Jim Allan said the state goes through a pollination cycle for the stone fruit and almond bloom moving up from Bakersfield to Northern California.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">Allan explained that there are more orchards to pollinate in the South Valley than the north part of the state so the demand for the honey bees drops when it's time to pollinate locally. However, he noted that there has been an increase in almond planting.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"We're seeing more orchards than ever before and they absolutely need the bees for pollinating," Allan said and added that the cost for pollinating has increased significantly.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">In the past few years, the Almond Board of California, which represents more than 6,000 growers, has poured $1.4 million into bee health research and has worked on alternatives to reduce growers' reliance on honeybees, said Bob Curtis, Associate Director of Agricultural Affairs.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">One is the "self-compatible" almond tree, which can set nuts using its own pollen, consequently requiring fewer bees.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">The Board also is urging growers to plant forage to help sustain bees before and after almond pollination. And it's exploring the use of solitary blue orchard bees, to augment the honeybee workforce. But developing those alternatives will take time.<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">"It's tenuous right now," Curtis said. "We've got fewer bees. And if something goes wrong with the weather, some growers could be in trouble."<hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-primary col-lg-12" style="white-space: normal;" href="http://www.thereporter.com/news/ci_22619047" target="_new">Honey Bee Update</a></p><hr class="legacyRuler"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding"><hr class="invisible minimal-padding">
