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

Carolyn Pickel, UC IPMSara Goldman Smith, UC IPMGlen Trostle, USDA Bee Lab

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

Nest Box construction

• Drilled wood blocks

• Cardboard tubes

• Phragmites reed sections

• Others commercially available

Nest Box placement

• Available pollen & nectar, blooming plants

• Morning sun exposure

• Protection from high heat

• Moist soil, riparian area

Nest box use by wild BOBs

• Almond orchards, Valley floor– Glenn

– Butte

– Sutter

– Colusa

• Riparian habitat, Foothills– Butte

– Elevation 400 – 1,000 ft.

Not much nesting activity

More nesting activity

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

Full bloom

Mar 5?

Emergence timing under local ambient conditions at 4 locations

Males begin to emerge

Males & Females

100% emerged

Butte Feb 15 March 16

Yolo Feb 21 March 12

Kern March 31 April 8

Kings Feb 3 March 11

N.P. Full bloom

Feb 23

Emergence projectButte data

0

20

40

60

80

100

15-F

eb

20-F

eb

25-F

eb2-

Mar

7-M

ar

12-M

ar

Pe

rce

nt

em

erg

en

ce

0

20

40

60

80

100

Te

mp

era

ture

% Male

% Female

°F, Daily High

Emergence project Bees released in almonds

Emergence projectSuccessful nesting activity!

Homemade release box

Free Download

BOB handbook

PDF file (961 k)

www.sare.org/publications/bob.htm

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