A new California Department of Food and Agriculture website is the bee’s knees.
The department has posted a new "Pollinator Protection" Web page highlighting CDFA resources and programs on the topic. The site has information on regulations, permits for pollinators, county services, what to expect during border station inspections, the non-native Africanized honeybee and more.
"The state’s almond industry requires over 1.6 million colonies of bees to pollinate their crop. Over 1.2 million bee colonies, or approximately 2,600 truckloads of bee hives, come from out of state. Additionally, those bees pollinate roughly one-third of the state’s crops, helping to create foods like cherries, broccoli and onions," the CDFA says.
The website recognizes the indispensable role of pollinators in California’s agricultural economy. Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) has decimated millions of beehives nationwide and around the world. Scientists are continuing to study what might be behind the rapid die-off.
