Ruthann Anderson, Editor
Bee Where? With only 5% of the Bee Hives registered with a local Ag Commissioner’s office in California during Almond Bloom, this time of year becomes stressful with extra work to identify hives and track down contact information to get a notice of application to beekeepers. The regulations set up under the Food and Ag Code were meant to facilitate communication, but with low compliance for registration by BeeKeepers, especially those coming from out of state, agriculture has continued to miss the opportunity for open communication between stakeholders during bloom. After traveling to different parts of the state during bloom last year, I started to wonder how the team of Agriculture could leverage technology and professionalism to ensure that the regulations already in place can be utilized during bloom for the success of all stakeholders. In working with Ag Commissioners, CDPR and CDFA over the last six months, we are close to a solution. Bee Where is poised to launch for bloom 2019 with a new GIS mapping layer integrated into Cal Ag Permits (and subsequently any rec writing system that shares data with this system). This interactive map will track registered bees in real time and allow applicators to easily access all registered bee hives within a mile of an application during bloom. This technology layer will bring a whole new level of efficiency to the entire process.
APPLICATOR ALERTS
✔ From t
ISSUE:
he Editor
- p. 1 ✔ Wild B ee Health & Ag - p. 3 ✔ Cover Crops Ben efit Orcha rds - p. 4 ✔ Boots on the Gr ound Q& A - p. 6 ✔ 2018 E vent Cale ndars - p. 10
APRIL 2018 VOL. III, NO. 1
IN THIS
Registration of the bees still remains the key piece to this puzzle. Along with the Ag Commissioners (CACASA) running AB 2468 to drive registration compliance, and CDFA allocating 1.5 million/year towards bee registration and enforcement, CAPCA is working with key commodity groups and stakeholders to integrate the requirement of registration into grower-beekeeper contracts. We hope to provide more information on this new tool for Applicators in the fall.
APPLICATOR ALERTS
From the Editor
CAPCA EDITORIAL STAFF Ruthann Anderson - Editor Joyce Basan - Deputy Editor Dee Strowbridge - Membership/Conference Sylvia Stark - Advertising Sales Manager Ariana McCray - So. CA Representative Rachel Taft - Executive Assistant Adam Barsanti - Outreach Relations Manager Ixchel Mendoza - Office Administrator Graphic Design - Rosemary N. Southward southwardr@comcast.net PURPOSE California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA) is a non-profit voluntary mutual benefit association. CAPCA’s purpose is to serve as the leader in the evolution of the pest management industry through the communication of reliable information. CAPCA is dedicated to the professional development and enhancement of our members’ education and stewardship which includes legislative, regulatory, continuing education and public outreach activities. PUBLISHING INFORMATION Applicator Alerts is published by the California Association of Pest Control Advisers (CAPCA), 2300 River Plaza Dr., Suite 120, Sacramento, California 95833. Web: www. capca.com, (916) 928‑1625. POSTMASTER: send address change to CAPCA. CAPCA has endeavored to include appropriate and accurate statements, but disclaims any and all warranties and/or responsibility for the statements or articles submitted to Applicator Alerts that may have additionally been edited for style, content and space prior to publication. Views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent CAPCA policies, or positions or endorsements. Editorial content of this publication is educational and informational in nature. No part of this publication, including images, may be reproduced without prior written permission from the publisher. Contact CAPCA at (916) 928‑1625 for reprint authorization. PRINTING: Sundance Press Tucson, Arizona
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BEES/POLLINATORS
Wild Bee Health and Agriculture Anna D. Howell, University of California Cooperative Extension Ventura County Bee health has focused primarily on the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.), the main species used to pollinate many of our food crops. But, non-Apis or wild bees make an equivalent economic contribution to crop pollination as managed bee colonies (Kleiijn et al 2015) and have also been experiencing declines, mainly due to natural habitat loss or fragmentation (Potts et al. 2010; Winfree et al. 2009). Because of the contribution that wild bees make to crop and natural habitat pollination, their health should also be considered. Several updates on the status of wild bee populations are: • Areas of intense agriculture have shown a decline in wild bee abundance across the nation, with areas like California’s Central Valley showing low wild bee abundance. • 2% of wild bee species contributed to about 80% of the crop pollination services (*see footnote below). These were dominant species that are commonly found, while threated species were relatively absent. • Cover crops can be used as additional forage to promote both managed and wild bee health and abundance. A high density of flowering cover crops can increase the diversity and abundance of wild bees compared to resident weedy vegetation. • Best Management Practices, such as the use of agrochemicals, water sources, and pre and post bloom forage, developed for managed honey bees can also be applied to enhance wild bees. • The effects of agrochemicals on wild bee species is still limited. Following label instructions for honey bees can help wild bees avoid exposure. • For crops that do not rely on bee pollination, such as grapes, planting cover crops can help with conservation of wild pollinators, which in turn can change consumer perception of agricultural practices and their effects on the environment. This change in perception can lead to increases in crop value. • Projects such as the Integrated Crop Pollination Project aims to deliver Integrated Crop Pollination (ICP) recommendation to growers across the nation to enhance specialty crop pollination by harnessing wild bees for pollination to improve sustainability of specialty crop pollination while increasing economic returns.
Photo by author Kleijn, D. et al. Delivery of crop pollination services is an insufficient argument for wild pollinator conservation. Nat. Commun. 6:7414 doi: 10.1038/ncomms8414 (2015). Potts, S. G., J. C. Biesmeijer, C. Kremen, P. Neumann, O. Schweiger, and W.E. Kunin. 2010. Global pollinator declines: Trends, impacts and drivers. Trends Ecol. Evol. 25: 345–353. Winfree, R., R., Aguilar, D. P., Vazquez, G. LeBuhn, and M. A. Aizen. 2009. A meta-analysis of bees’ responses to anthropogenic disturbance. Ecology 90: 2068–2076.
*Pollination analysis using data from 90 studies of 1,394 crop fields from five continents; species that contribute >5% of the visitation rates and considered those dominant crop-visiting bees (native/wild bees only). Those 2% were then making 80% of the crop visits.
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BEES/POLLINATORS
How Cover Crops Benefit Orchards Billy Synk, Project Apis m. Cover crops are a useful tool for growers to achieve many different outcomes. Growing the right plants can have a significant impact on soil issues like compaction, erosion, and weed control. Cover crops penetrate hard ground with their roots and hold the soil together by creating stronger aggregates, which also increases water infiltration and prevents erosion. Nitrogen fixing legumes like clover and vetch can add about 80 lbs. of nitrogen per acre. Blooming cover crops at the right time can significantly increase the pollination potential of the honey bees hired to set nuts. Planting brassicas like mustard, radish, and canola early in October will allow growers to provide critical nutrition to the hungry bees awaiting the almond bloom. Soil and Bee Health Benefits Many growers have been facing issues with soil compaction; as orchards with a high clay content lose their organic matter, the pore size between small bits of aggregated soil decrease. Decreased soil porosity slows the orchards water uptake, and compaction increases with vehicle use. Factors like vehicle weight, tire surface area, and frequency of passes will affect the depth of compaction. Water, rain or irrigation, increases compaction by lubricating soil particles and allowing them to force closer together. Cover crops can restore your orchard. The deep roots of living cover crops create spaces and channels in the soil which increase water infiltration. After mowing or disking, the decomposing plant matter will increase the organic matter content which will prevent soil compaction and its adverse effects. As organic matter decays, nutrients are released and are available to succeeding crops. Sandy soils benefit greatly from cover crops because organic matter holds more than 18-20 times its weight in water. Just 1% organic matter in the top six inches holds up to 27,000 gallons of water per acre. [1] Growers with early blooming insect pollinated crops like almonds can also use cover crops to feed bees. The majority 4
of the 2.7 million colonies in the US are shipped to almond pollination in January, a time when colonies have not had forage for months and are naturally at their weakest. Although there may be warm days in January and February, California’s central valley doesn’t provide any blooming plants at that time. Colonies must patiently wait for the nectar and pollen resources of almond bloom to appear. When foraging bees bring back the first pollen of the new year this triggers bees inside the colony to begin rearing larvae. These larvae emit a pheromone which stimulates more foraging bees to seek out flowers and pollinate them. This positive feedback loop will continue if resources are available. A brassica cover crop mix seeded in the fall, like our Seeds for Bees Mustard mix, will bloom 2-6 weeks before almonds, thus providing critical nutrition at a time when it benefits growers the most. Start increasing their population and vigor early so they will be ready to attack those blossoms and set nuts when almonds bloom! Research shows colonies reared in pollen limited conditions produce workers that forage less often, and are less efficient at communicating [2], which could have a significant impact on yield. The many benefits of cover crops are smart farming for soil, water and pollination. Common Concerns • Bloom competition – Growers may worry that a flowering cover crop can affect yield by diverting honey bees away from the bloom of nuts, fruits, etc. Recent research at UC Davis has confirmed what many growers observe: “alternative flowering resources can be added to almond orchards, even during bloom, without jeopardizing crop pollination” [3] • Biomass on orchard floor – Cover crops are terminated by mowing or disking. Disking incorporates the organic matter into the soil, while mowing will leave plant matter on the surface. Brassica cover crops should be destroyed before reseeding. Cover crops like clovers & vetches can be allowed to reseed.
• Frost –Frost can affect almonds at any time, but after bloom, during the small nut stage is when most damage occurs. If frost damage is eminent, mowing of cover crops is a good idea. Early blooming cover crops like brassicas are typically mowed by March. Adding cover crop management to your orchard floor can be intimidating. Like any new tool or technique, it comes with challenges and a learning curve. But, the benefits of successful cover crops are worth it. Have questions or want to learn more? Contact me at billy@projectapism. org. About Project Apis m. Project Apis m. is the go-to nonprofit organization at the intersection of science, honey bees and pollinated crops. We direct and fund research and forage programs that provide practical solutions for enhanced honey bee health and crop vitality in collaboration with commercial beekeepers, growers, agriculture industry businesses, and scientists in the US and Canada. Learn more about us, our research, and cover crop resources at ProjectApism.org. References: 1. USDA NRCS (2013) Soil Health Key Points 2. Scofield HN, Mattila HR (2015) Honey Bee Workers That Are Pollen Stressed as Larvae Become Poor Foragers and Waggle Dancers as Adults. PLoS ONE 10(4): e0121731. doi:10.1371/journal. pone.0121731 3. Lundin, O., Ward, K.L., Artz, D.R., Boyle, N.K., Pitts Singer, T., Williams, N.M. 2017. Wildflower plantings do not compete with neighboring almond orchards for pollinator visits. Environmental Entomology. doi:10.1093/ee/nvx052.
Mark Your Calendar
CAPCA’s 44 Annual Conference & Agri-Expo th
AT THE CENTER OF PLANT HEALTH
October 14-16, 2018 Disneyland Resort - Anaheim, California Registration will open May 15, 2018 Conference Registration and Hotel Accommodations can be made at
CAPCA.COM/CONFERENCE Registration Rates:
Accommodations:
Member/Exhibitor - $325 Non Member - $405 Educator - $225 Student - $150 Spouse - $175 Children - $100
Once you are registered for the conference you will be sent a link to book your hotel at the group rate. Disneyland Hotel - $215.00 Grand Californian - $275.00
Please always remember to book accommodations through CAPCA’s website or directly with the hotel. Most 3rd party companies offering lower rates are a scam.
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BEES/POLLINATORS
Boots on the Ground: Q & A with Mark Allen PCA and Beekeeper, Herald, CA
APPLICATOR ALERTS (AA): As both a PCA and a beekeeper, what does being a beekeeper bring to your role as a PCA working with growers or in-house PCAs? MARK ALLEN (MA): Timing. As a PCA, it is essential to focus on the most effective control option, following labeling guidelines and restrictions, and reducing the number of applications necessary within the season. Pollinator protection may require a change in that standard chemistry program for the orchard/field bees are visiting. However, pollinator protection is also about altering the timing of applications. I believe that when and how we spray has as much impact on pollinators as what tools we choose to control the target pest. Pollinator protection standards are codified more every year on product labels to enable the PCA to follow the latest guidelines and changes in chemistry. The acute and sub-lethal effects of crop protection materials on pollinators are now part of the conversation from the grower as well. Initiating applications in the evening, while bees are not flying, or scheduling treatments prior to and after bloom has become very successful in California orchards. Providing for a clean and productive orchard also must allow for a healthy workforce of bees while on the premises and hopefully after those bees have moved on to another location. Pollination fees are a significant line item expense for the grower and it essential they receive the full workforce throughout the pollination period. (AA): As a PCA, what perspective does that bring to your role as a beekeeper? (MA): Understanding of chemistries involved, the needs they fulfill, and how best to mitigate my bees’ exposure improves the relationship with my grower customers. I understand that without a successful crop, I don’t have a pollination customer moving forward. Besides, the last thing my growers want to do is add in, and pay for, an unnecessary application. Growers must defend against numerous potential threats to a successful crop health, harvest, and yield. What a beekeeper can do to improve their success in the field is to better understand which products are an actual concern for their bees, when they are necessary, and how to time hive placement and removal around those necessary actions. This requires reciprocal communication and education between parties.
(AA):What are the top BMPs (Best Management Practices) that you recommend for applicators? (MA): Make bloom applications at night. Honey bees return to their hives before dusk and will start flying again at first light, if temperature permits. Always avoid drift onto hives, even when the product is fungicide, herbicide, or nutrients. Even the surfactant in the tank potentially affect honey bees that come in direct contact. Think about the boundary to the field. Are there blooming weeds, cover crops, or plantings in the boundary to the field that could receive drift from the application being made? Likewise, any standing water, puddles, and small irrigation ponds are potential sources of pesticide contact with pollinators. Honey bee colonies require water just as they do nectar and pollen. A portion of worker bees are also assigned as water collectors for the day and will often seek water sources with a “scent” to convey its location to other foraging bees. Sprays made over these puddles do not dry down as intended. Though puddles are more common in the rainy season, scarcity of water sources in our hot, dry summer create increased demand for bees to seek any moisture source, including dripping irrigation nozzles and farm runoff. (AA): How do you see communications being vital to the relationship between the PCA, growers, and beekeepers? (MA): Communication is the difference between an existing problem and a simple concern. Though most commercial beekeepers are not PCAs, they do have years of experience dealing with pest control materials. Many beekeepers want to know when applications are planned, when an immediate application is pending and, if possible, what materials are being used. Communicating your planned action lets your beekeeper make the decision on whether to move the bees off-site during the application period. The best start to any pollination agreement is to have the most important elements in writing. Handshake agreements work only as long as the parties involved are able to communicate to the satisfaction of the grower, beekeeper, and PCA. In conclusion, make sure your hired beekeeper has registered their hive location for move-in and move-out with the county. That is the law, but should also be an element included into all contracts.
MARK ALLEN 6
California beekeeper for the past 15 years. California PCA and representative for Nufarm Americas. CAPCA Chapter President, Woodland, CA.
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exposure to people and pets, the applicator, and the environment. Using Arborplug® technology, the products are sealed inside the tree, effectively limiting leakage into the environment and loss of efficacy. The Arborplug also protects the tree from pathogens and secondary insects. Cost Effective Equipment & formulation costs are much less costly than they used to be. The injection method allows for certain products to be applied together at one time, saving both time and money for your business. Service providers can offer a program that is valuable to homeowners and still profitable for them. Not to mention, the cost of removal and replacement of a tree far exceeds the cost of treatment. Did You Know Did you know that some of the biggest cities in the country use the Arborjet trunk injection system to treat their most valuable trees? Cities including Sacramento, San Diego, and Claremont are using Arborjet’s trunk injection technology to keep more than 115,000 of their boulevard trees healthy.
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BEES/POLLINATORS
California’s Managed Pollinator Protection Plan – MP3 We depend on managed bees and other pollinators to help produce many of our nation’s agricultural products and to maintain a healthy environment. The Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) recognizes the importance of honey bees and other pollinators and supports pollinator protection by fostering communication and cooperation among beekeepers, growers, pest control advisers, applicators and regulators when pest management decisions need to be made. Effective communication, collaboration and cooperation between stakeholders helps lessen or eliminate the impacts to managed bees and other pollinators while protecting agricultural crops from harmful pests. There are more than 2.5 million honey bee colonies in the U.S. today that pollinate an estimated $15 billion of crops each year, ranging from almonds to zucchini. Of these, approximately 1.8 million colonies are used each year in California to pollinate the state’s almond crop alone. In June 2014, President Barack Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum entitled Creating a Federal Strategy to Promote the Health of Honey Bees and Other Pollinators. The memorandum called for the establishment of the
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Pollinator Health Task Force, co-chaired by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). This Task Force was charged with creating a National Pollinator Health Strategy (Strategy) that promotes the health of honey bees and other pollinators (including birds, bats, butterflies and insects). U.S. EPA was charged with engaging state agencies in developing state pollinator protection plans as a means of mitigating the risk of pesticides to bees and other managed pollinators. As part of the Strategy, U.S. EPA has been promoting and working with states and tribal agencies through the State Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act Issues Research and Evaluation Group (SFIREG) to develop and implement local pollinator protection plans, known as Managed Pollinator Protection Plans (MP3s) – recommendations and practices put in place for the protection of managed pollinators that facilitate a collaborative approach and are viewed as public-private partnerships. The primary goal of the MP3 is to bring awareness to the issues faced by all parties and find a way for everyone involved to be part of a solution – ensuring that growers, pesticide applicators, beekeepers and other agricultural
stakeholders are able to continue to produce our nation’s food, fiber and fuel in a productive and collaborative manner that allows for both crop production and beekeeping to thrive. The State of California has been at the national forefront in understanding the importance of communication, collaboration and cooperation between beekeepers and those involved in pesticide applications in protecting managed bees. This fact is reflected in California’s laws and regulations and the continued efforts on the part of government agencies, industry organizations and professional nongovernmental organizations in providing outreach and training to those involved in producing agricultural commodities and providing managed bees for pollination, as well as those who regulate the use of pesticides and investigate reported bee and pollinator incidents. For more information: http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/enforce/ pollinators/index.htm
What Pesticide Applicators Can Do to Help Protect Bees! PESTICIDE APPLICATORS CAN HELP PROTECT BEES BY
Communication and Cooperation: Keys to Protecting Bees • Identify hive locations within a one-mile radius of treatment site.
IMPROVING COMMUNICATION Communication and collaboration between pesticide applicators, growers, pest control advisers, beekeepers and local county agricultural commissioners (CACs) help keep managed bees, their hives and habitat safe.
• Notify beekeeper of pesticide applications that are toxic to bees. • Be aware of pesticides that affect pollinators — follow the label. • Understand pollinator visitation habits and time applications. • Consider applying pesticides with short residual toxicity to bees. • Do not spray or drift onto hives with any pesticide. • Choose sprayer and nozzle technologies designed to reduce drift. • Avoid applying pesticides to sites when bees are foraging.
“Bees that come in contact with sprayed plant protection products will not be able to fly because of the weight of the droplets on their wings.” Source: How to Reduce Bee Poisoning from Pesticides
Contact the local county agricultural commissioner for apiary location and beekeeper notification information. Alert beekeeper of planned application of pesticides that are labeled “toxic to bees” 48 hours prior to the application. In an ongoing effort to protect bees and other pollinators, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has developed new pesticide labels that prohibit use of some neonicotinoid pesticide products where bees are present. The new labels have a “bee advisory box” and icon with information on routes of exposure and spray drift precautions to protect bees.
Contact the local county agricultural commissioner at: http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/exec/county/countymap More information: “How to Reduce Bee Poisoning from Pesticides” A Pacific Northwest Extension Publication • PNW 591 at: http:// extension.oregonstate.edu/crook/sites/default/files/bee2.pdf
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2018 CAPCA ED & CHAPTER EVENTS Date
Location
Event Title
Sponsor
5/17/18
Imperial
CE Seminar
Desert Valleys CAPCA
6/6/18
Escondido
Nursery Greenhouse Conference
San Diego CAPCA
6/7/18
Blythe
CE Seminar
Desert Valleys CAPCA
6/12/18
Palm Desert
CE Seminar
CAPCA Ed & UC ANR
6/13/18
Santa Paula
CE Seminar
CAPCA Ed & Ventura CAPCA
6/21/18
Sacramento
CE Seminar
CAPCA Ed & Woodland CAPCA
7/19/18
Chico
CE Seminar
CAPCA Ed
8/2/18
La Quinta
CE Seminar
Desert Valleys CAPCA
8/9/18
Tulare
CE Seminar
CAPCA Ed & Tulare-Kings CAPCA
8/16/18
Simi Valley
CE Seminar
CAPCA Ed
8/23/18
San Luis Obispo
CE Seminar
Central Coast CAPCA
9/12/18
Escondido
CAPCA/UCR Entomology Conference
San Diego CAPCA
9/12/18
Santa Paula
CE Seminar
Ventura CAPCA
9/13/18
Fresno
CE Seminar
CAPCA Ed & Fresno-Madera CAPCA
9/13/18
Bakersfield
CE Seminar
CAPCA Ed & Kern County CAPCA
9/20/18
Modesto
CE Seminar
CCA
10/14-16/18
Anaheim
CAPCA Annual Conference & Agri-Expo
CAPCA
11/8/18
Imperial
CE Seminar
Desert Valleys CAPCA
11/13/18
Stockton
CE Seminar
Central Valley CAPCA
11/14/18
Arcadia
CE Seminar
CAPCA Ed & UC ANR
11/15/18
Fresno
Label Update
Fresno-Madera CAPCA
12/5/18
Escondido
Laws & Regulations Seminar
San Diego CAPCA
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PRSRT STD US Postage PAID Tucson, AZ Permit No. 271
CAPCA 2300 River Plaza Dr., Ste 120 Sacramento, CA 95833
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BEES/POLLINATORS ISSUE APRIL 2018 / VOL . III , NO. 1
APPLICATOR ALERTS