Managing Blue Orchard Bees to Pollinate Almonds in Fresno County, California

Download or read book Managing Blue Orchard Bees to Pollinate Almonds in Fresno County, California written by Gerald Bodily and published by . This book was released on 2010-10-20 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book on blue orchard bees (BOBs) is designed for the person who primarily looks at pictures and labels, rather than text, when reading the National Geographic. When the reader feels compelled, this book provides options for reading beyond the pictures. Four groups of readers are targeted:California almond growers Learn how to use BOBs to cut risk and increase production. The book describes an approach that uses honeybees, supplemented with BOBs. Topics include:*Cutting your risk when your honeybees fail to show in January*Knowing when to place BOBs *Saving money and gaining control by keeping BOBs in your refrigerator*Determining where BOBs give you the greatest gain*Measuring the effect of BOBs in your orchardBackyard keepers of Osmia beesBOBs in California almonds is the context of this book, but whether the reader lives in Canada, China, England, or Japan; the practices generally are adaptable for other Osmia bees in other ecosystems. Topics include: *Predicting if a pear, apple, or cherry tree responds well to Osmia pollination *Making reed nests that collect heat*Determining if supplemental mud is required *Matching the blooming tree with the emerging bee*Building anomalous nesting space to increase the number of female progenySolitary bee researchersLearn of new areas to explore. Topics include: *Creating anomalous nesting space to manipulate progeny gender*Using endothermy to explore putting Osmia bees into the air sooner*Inducing and measuring yield gradientsProponents of agricultural sustainabilityLearn how a wild bee is adapted into a large agricultural monoculture. Topics include:*The fragility of an agricultural system that depends on a single insect for survival*How the environment is manipulated around a wild insect to benefit man's ends*Up close look at one of the larger agricultural monocultures in California