WCN Dec e

START THINKING ABOUT
POLLINATOR CONTRACTS
BEEKEEPERS SAY CONTRACTS ARE
WELCOMED ‘SOONER RATHER THAN LATER’
By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor
Harvest is over. Mummies are
shaken and swept. Is it time to
think about almond pollination?
According to bee brokers and
beekeepers, tighter supplies this year
and increasing demand for pollination
services mean almond growers need to
contract for hives early and plan ahead
for their arrival in the orchards.
In addition to costs, hive numbers and arrival time, beekeepers need to know if the
hives will be secure from theft, if pesticide applications will be made, if there is a water
supply and the timing of payments (photo by Marni Katz.)
New Era of Pollinator Contracts
Denise Qualls, a bee broker with
Pollination Connection, said contracts
with growers are welcomed sooner
rather than later to ensure an adequate
honeybee supply. Some almond
growers do book early, she said, but
for the most part, growers don’t think
about bees until after harvest. Many
contracts are signed in December and
January, but bees are still being booked
in February.
Qualls said the days of a handshake
to secure pollination service might be
over.
“Most growers and brokers now
have written contracts that spell out
terms for pollination services including
price, delivery time and hive strength,”
Qualls said. Conditions spelled out in
the contract can ensure the grower receives
the pollination service necessary
for setting a crop. The contract also can
ensure beekeepers are fairly compensated
for their time and investment in
healthy, strong hives.
Verbal agreements worked back
when hives were renting for less than
$100 and far fewer acres of almonds
were grown. Now, Qualls said, demand
for strong hives to cover all almond
ground in the state requires that both
sides agree on exact terms and put
them in writing.
Josette Lewis, chief scientific officer
with Almond Board of California
said ABC recommends growers sign
contracts for pollination service. There
needs to be clear understanding and
communication between the growers
and beekeeper. A sample contract is
available at ABC’s website
Number of full frames per hive is a
key element in a contract, Lewis said.
A third party inspector can verify the
hive strength for the grower. County
Agricultural Commissioners’ offices
should provide inspector information.
Working Together
Steve House, director of operations
at California Almond Pollination
Service, said once a grower finds a
good beekeeper and a beekeeper finds a
good grower, they each have an integral
component in their supply chain and
a major factor in the success of their
businesses. Both parties need to understand
the success of one depends on the
success of the other.
In addition to costs, hive numbers
and arrival time, House said beekeepers
need to know if the hives will be
secure from theft, if pesticide applications
will be made, if there is a water
supply and the timing of payments.
Important considerations for almond
growers are hive strength and
confirmation of arrival time in the
orchard, generally no later than 5%
Continued on Page 58
56 West Coast Nut December 2021