Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1099801
4 1 Eckert, J.E. 1933. The flight range of the honey-bee. J. of Agri. Res. 47(8):257–285. 2 Beekman, M. and F.L.W. Ratnieks. 2001. Long-range foraging by the honey-bee, Apis mellifera L. https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1365-2435.2000.00443.x THE COMMUNICATION CHAIN Establish a clear communication chain among all parties involved in pollination and pest management to help ensure that responsibilities are met and information is effectively conveyed. The acting parties may simply be a beekeeper and a grower, but depending on the scale and organization of the operation, those involved in the almond pollination process may also include a bee broker, pest control adviser (PCA) and certified pesticide applicator (CPA). California county agricultural commissioners are also a vital link in the communication chain as each year they require beekeepers in California to register their hive locations and update their locations within 72 hours after they move. Hive registration offers county agricultural commissioners and staff visibility of all registered hive locations in a certain area. One option for hive registration is the Bee Where program, which offers beekeepers a dynamic, real-time geographic information system (GIS) where they can mark hives with a simple pin drop in the orchard via a mobile app. Hives may be electronically registered using the Bee Where program's registration portal located at BeeWhereCalifornia.com, where hive locations will be visible on a GIS grid. On the Bee Where program's website, applicators who intend to apply products that may be toxic to bees can see hive locations within a 1-mile radius of orchards where sprays are planned and access beekeepers' information and contact them. Applicators can also receive this information from their local county agricultural commissioner. Knowing where sprays are planned and where hives are located allows beekeepers to be notified 48 hours ahead of intended sprays, which is particularly important when insecticides are being applied and even outside the almond bloom season. Regardless of these precautions, all pollination stakeholders should note that a 1-mile buffer will not protect honey bee colonies under all conditions, as bees may forage up to 4 miles away from their hives to collect food and find water when resources are scarce. 1, 2 As the Bee Where program evolves, electronic crop management systems will provide advisories on hive locations.