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18 Fig. 1. Diagram of a Mission variety almond flower. For fertilization to be initiated, pollen from the anthers must be transferred to the stigma surface. When no anthers have pollen, the style turns from green to brown and the stigma and style are no longer receptive to pollination, and thus fertilization. (©1996 Regents of the University of California. Almond Production Manual, used by permission. Illustration adapted from USDA Agricultural Handbook 496 – S.E. McGregor). REMOVING HIVES FROM THE ORCHARD The University of California recommends bee removal in traditional multi-self compatible variety orchards when 90% of the flowers on the latest blooming variety are at petal fall. 13 Pollination does not take place beyond that point, and when bees forage for alternate food sources and water outside the orchard — bees can fly up to 4 miles beyond the orchard — they will be at a higher risk of coming in contact with insecticide or fungicide-treated crops. Another option is to provide supplemental forage for bees, particularly before and after bloom, as covered on Pages 16 and 17. Unfortunately, though, even if bee removal timing may be included in the pollination agreement between the 13 Mussen, Eric. 2014. When to leave almond orchards. UC Apiaries newsletter, Mar./Apr. 2014. grower and beekeeper, both parties should keep in mind that beekeepers can't always be available, or don't have an alternative location to move the bees. Once the hives have been removed, it is still recommended to check the locations of the hives within a 1-mile radius of a spray site. Applicators can use programs like Bee Where, found at BeeWhereCalifornia. com, or contact a county agricultural commissioner directly to check hive locations. Bees may still be foraging in neighboring orchards or in other crops nearby, so it's important to check these sources prior to the use of any insecticide or fungicide.