results from an Almond Board of California funded study conducted by Dr. Elina Niño measures the impact Seeds for Bees™ cover crops in or near almond orchards has on colonies. She found that hives in orchards with access to the P Am. Brassica Pollinator Mix were, on average, three frames more populous than hives without access to supplemental forage (2). There are many useful resources about bees, beekeeping and the Seeds For Bees™ program
Water for Bees bucket near bee hives. Photo courtesy of Blue Diamond Growers
available at www.projectapism.org. Wishing you an excellent bloom!
“toxic to bees,” “residual toxicity” or “extended residual toxicity.” Avoid applying any insecticide during bloom. If a fungicide application is necessary, spray in the evening or at night when bees and pollen are not present and avoid directly spraying the hives. Adjuvants should not be used with fungicides unless stated on the label (1). Organo- silicone adjuvants have been found to be especially dangerous to honey bees (3). Beekeepers are facing challenges to keep their hives alive. Varroa mites and loss of habitat/poor nutrition are two of the biggest health threats honey bees face in modern beekeeping. To help mitigate other stressors to their bees, beekeepers often look for orchards with supplemental sources of forage for the bees. Planting cover crops that will bloom before and after almond bloom can help beekeepers maintain healthy hives. The managers of the Seed for Bees™ program (5) can assist with cover crop seed and offer technical advice on establishment and management of cover crop seed blends that will benefit both growers and beekeepers. Many producers use cover crops to help them achieve their goals of improving soil quality, pollinator health and economic viability. Growers who plant alternative sources of nutrition like blooming cover crops that bloom before and during almond bloom create a positive feedback loop within the hives. This positive feedback loop helps ensure healthy and more bees for pollination. Preliminary
References 1. A lmond Board of California. Honey Bee Best Management Practices For California Almonds. Modesto, CA. http://www.almonds.com/sites/default/files/ ALM_189395_HBBrochure_ForWebsite_8_5x11_F5.pdf 2. Niño, Elina (2016-2017) Longitudinal Evaluation of Honey Bee Colonies on Different Forage Regimes. Almond Board of California Annual Research Report 3. Shannon, Brandon; Walker, Emily; Johnson, Reed. Toxicity of spray adjuvants and tank mix combinations used in almond orchards to adult honey bees (Apis mellifera) Open Access Journal of Economic Entomology , Volume 116, Issue 5, October 2023, Pages 1467–1480, https://doi. org/10.1093/jee/toad161 4. Beekeeper pollination contract at Project Apis m. website https://www.projectapism.org/s/2017_ pollination-contract-template.pdf 5. S eed for Bees contact https://www.projectapism.org/ sfb-home#:~:text=Seeds,-for%20Bees®
Planting cover crops has exceptional advantages for both beekeepers and farmers by providing valuable soil benefits in the orchard alongside ample provisions for pollinators
Tom Johnson, Seeds for Bees, ® Grower Relations Manager, Project Apis m. tom@projectapism.org
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JANUARY–FEBRUARY 2026
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