Blue Orchard Bees Native to California: Possibilities for Use in Almond Pollination

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Blue Orchard Bees Native to CaliforniaPossibilit
ies for Use in Almond Pollination
Carolyn Pickel, UC IPM Sara Goldman Smith, UC
IPM Glen Trostle, USDA Bee Lab
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Project Goals

• Locate and acquire wild blue orchard bees (BOBs)
  from CA locations
• Nest box building and use
• Handling and rearing in local climate
• Emergence under ambient conditions
• Offspring of Native CA bees
• Emergence timing without incubation
• Release and re-nesting in almonds

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Nest Box construction

• Drilled wood blocks
• Cardboard tubes
• Phragmites reed sections
• Others commercially available

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Nest Box placement

• Available pollen nectar, blooming plants
• Morning sun exposure
• Protection from high heat
• Moist soil, riparian area

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Nest box use by wild BOBs

• Almond orchards, Valley floor
• Glenn
• Butte
• Sutter
• Colusa

Not much nesting activity

• Riparian habitat, Foothills
• Butte
• Elevation 400 1,000 ft.

More nesting activity
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Nest box use by wild BOBsLong term project We
still have much to learn

• Nesting materials preferences
• Handling of collected nests during delicate egg
  larval stages
• Monitor developmental stages and record
  temperature data
• Protect nests from parasites and predators
• Release offspring for population increase

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Emergence timing under local ambient conditions
at 4 locations
N.P. Full bloom Feb 23
Full bloom Mar 5?
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Emergence projectButte data
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Emergence project Bees released in almonds
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Emergence project
Successful nesting activity!
Homemade release box
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Free Download BOB handbook PDF file (961 k)
www.sare.org/publications/bob.htm
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Cooperators

• Jim Cane, USDA Bee Lab, Logan Utah
• Emergence timing data from
• Tom Gradziel, UC Davis
• Steve Peterson, AgPollen, Ceres CA
• Almond Pollination Co, Bakersfield CA