WCN December 2019

Continued from Page 54
Last year in Kern County, one of the first large scale
storage facilities housed about 40,000 bee colonies over the
winter. The controlled atmosphere building was an alternative
to field storage and supplemental feeding over the winter.
Inside storage isn’t new for beekeepers in cold winter climate
states like Idaho, Montana and the Dakotas, but it is rare in
California.
The aim with indoor or controlled atmosphere storage
is to bring out strong, healthy hives for successful almond
pollination. With more than one million acres of almond
trees planted in California, adequate numbers of strong,
healthy bees are crucial for pollination and nut set. While the
almond industry has stepped up and planted 28,000 acres of
bee forage since 2011 to provide nutrition before and after
almond bloom, growers depend on strong hives arriving at
their orchards to do the job.
Poor overwintering has a strong impact on beekeepers
and almond growers because almond bloom is also when
colonies are at their lowest populations and are just beginning
to rebuild numbers. Weak colonies will not be able
to rear enough brood to fulfill hive strength requirements
needed for pollination. Lost colonies cannot be replaced in
Inspectors check for hive strength prior to placing hives in almonds for
pollination. Most contracts call for a minimum of 6-8 frames to ensure enough
bees will work in the orchard. Photo courtesy of Cecilia Parsons.
T5
100-PTO-horsepower
www.gartontractor.com
February. Colonies that have survived are the ones available
for pollination.
Just the Beginning
Overwinter indoor bee storage in California is in its
infancy compared to Idaho, but there is beekeeper interest—as
well as a learning curve. Visalia area beekeeper Steve
Godlin said a lot of beekeepers are exploring their overwintering
options. Godlin said he is working on his own small
facility to see what works best for his bees.
Costs to keep temperatures at a consistent level, air flow
and humidity are all important factors in indoor bee storage,
he said. It is not that the traditional yard storage does not
work, but there are tricks to being successful.
Mild Winter Temps
Tulare County beekeeper Roger Everett said Central
California’s mild winter temperatures would require bee
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West Coast Nut December 2019