Bloom progression is the preferred predictor of when to remove Honey Bee (APIDAE: 'Apis mellifera') hives from almond orchards

Abstract

<p>Almond pollination triggers the world's largest mass migration of managed pollinators to a single flowering crop (Somerville, 2007). The University of California, Davis, advises that honey bee hives should be removed from almond pollination when 90% of flowers of the latest blooming variety are at petal fall (Mussen, 2014), but this advice relies entirely on anecdotal evidence and, in Australia, it appears to be unduly conservative.</p><p>Almond orchards containing apiaries of commercial hives were used to trap bee-collected pollen (Somerville, 2011) at the hive level and to track bloom progression of three almond varieties (Nonpareil, Carmel and Price) using tagged branches. Bloom progression was correlated with bee-collected almond pollen. Tracking bloom progression is a more practical, and no less accurate, field measurement to ensure hives are removed at an appropriate time, to the mutual benefit of beekeeper and orchardist.</p>