Protecting Pollinators [2025]

OVERVIEW

As of January 2018, there were approximately 2.63 million managed honey bee colonies in the U.S. Over 500,000 make their home permanently in California, while another 1.5 million hives are moved into the state annually to augment the pollination demands of California’s almond crop alone. This means slightly fewer than 79 percent of the managed hives in the U.S. are used to pollinate a single California crop.

In 2019 there are about 1.16 million planted acres of almond orchards in California, with mature trees on bearing acreages capable of producing more than 2.27 billion pounds of almonds annually. Growers usually rent two colonies of honey bees per bearing acre.

“Honey bees are essential to almond production,” said Bob Curtis, pollination consultant and retired director of Agricultural Affairs for the Almond Board of California. “Every almond we eat exists because a honey bee pollinated an almond blossom so it’s in farmers’ best interest to keep them safe. Our livelihood depends on it.”

As important as managed honey bees are to almonds and the more than 100 other crops they pollinate, pesticides and insecticides used to protect crops against pests are also important. Farmers and crop protection specialists recognize that and work diligently to ensure that pollinators and pesticides can co-exist in balance.

This course will examine the stressors on the honey bee population such as Colony Collapse Disorder, nutrition, pesticides, parasites and pathogens as well as rules and legislation to protect honey bees.

Course Features

Lectures 9
Questions 20
Duration 1 h (approx)

COURSE OUTLINE
- Introduction
  
  5 min.
- Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)
  
  7 min.
- Honey Bee Poisoning
  
  5 min.
- Rules to Protect Bees
  
  9 min.
- Toxicity of Pesticides to Bees
  
  7 min.
- Varroa Mite
  
  16 min.
- Diseases
  
  5 min.
- Treating for Tracheal Mites
  
  1 min.
- Legislation & Conclusion
  
  4 min.

CREDIT INFORMATION

This course is accredited by:

California Department of Pesticide Regulation (1 Hour Other)
Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) Accredited in U.S. and Canada (1 hour Sustainability)
Arizona Pest Management Division (1 hour) -- This course is approved for PMD credit only, not AZDA
Delaware Department of Agriculture (1 credit categories PA, 1A)
Florida Department of Agriculture (1 CEU General Standards/Core Sections 487 & 482)
Georgia Department of Agriculture [Hours: 10-Specific (1)]
Hawaii Department of Agriculture (1 CEU, Private 1 and Commercial 1a, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10)
Idaho Department of Agriculture (1 credit)
Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (1 credit 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, Comm CORE, Priv CORE)
Montana Department of Agriculture (1 credit 10, 21, 30, 33, 34, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 44, 45, 50, 55, 60.) *Maximum of 6 credits for online training per recertification cycle for commercial, government, dealers, non-commercial, and private applicators
Nevada Department of Agriculture (1 CEU General)
New Jersey Department of Agriculture (1 unit Core, 2 units 1A, PP2) *Due to a recent change in NJ rules, in order to receive credit, NJ licensees must submit a photo of themselves holding their license, with the course open on their computer behind them. Send to [email protected]*
New Mexico Department of Agriculture (1 Credit: General, PRAP)
Oregon Department of Agriculture (1 Credit, Core)
Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (1 credit in 00)
South Carolina Department of Agriculture (1 credit Core)
Tennessee Department of Agriculture (1 Hour in C01, C03, C10, C12)
Texas Department of Agriculture (1 General Envir Consequences)
Utah Department of Agriculture (1 CEU in Use)
Washington Department of Agriculture (Credit: Max: 1; Weed: 1)
West Virginia Department of Agriculture (2 credits in Categories 1, 4A, 7, 11, 12, 13D, and PA)
Wyoming Department of Agriculture (1 CEU)

CONTRIBUTORS

Acknowledgements

Farm Progress acknowledges and thanks the following for their contribution to this course. Without those who are dedicated to the preservation of bees as a vital part of U.S. agriculture, this course would not be possible. Their research and publications continue to allow bees to do their vital work.

Dr. Eric Mussen, Emeritus Extension Apiculturist, UC Davis.

Dr. Elina Nino, Extension Apiculturist at UC Davis.

We also want to acknowledge the bee photography provided for this course by Kathy Keatley Garvey, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.