Plight of the honeybee particularly bad in 2010

After several mild years, colony collapse disorder of honeybees has returned with a vengeance in 2010, according to news articles that ran over the weekend.

Fresno Bee reporter Robert Rodriguez used UC Davis apiculturist Eric Mussen as a source for his story, describing the scientist as "the state's leading bee expert."

"It never went away," Mussen said about the mysterious disappearance of bees from hives, "but this year a substantial number of beekeepers got walloped again. And worse than they had been hit before."

Another concern is this year's unusually cool, wet winter. In Merced County, farmers have already had to apply fungicides to combat such problems as bloom rot.

"There some growers who are applying their third spray, when normally this time of year they may only make two," the article quoted David Doll, a UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor in Merced County.

The Hanford Sentinel ran a story about rising cost of honeybees to farmers, which it blamed on CCD and growing almond acreage. The Woodland Daily Democrat's article contained comments about pollination from UCCE farm advisor Joe Connell of Butte County.

Connell said it appears the majority of Northern California growers had their pollination needs met this year.

"There is definitely potential for a good harvest, but we won't know for sure until the nuts themselves start to size up," Connell said. "Definite answers probably won't be available until the end of March."

The Democrat story said Mussen and Connell believe cold weather and high rainfall during this year's almond blossom season reduced the amount of time the bees could spend in the fields, and might cause the ripening almonds to drop from the trees before they are fully developed.

"Proper pollination and fertilization will allow the nut to fasten (to the tree) and really hold a big crop," Mussen told reporter James Noonan.

Despite these challenges, Connell was hopeful about the 2010 almond season.

"We have a good number of blossoms right now," Connell was quoted, "if we can get nuts to take hold in about a quarter of them we'll be in pretty good shape."

A pollen-covered honeybee on an almond blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey.)