CITRUS/BEE PROTECTION DISTRICTS

EFFECTIVE MARCH 15 TO MAY 31

citrus district map

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6654. Notification to Beekeepers.

(a) Each person intending to apply any pesticide toxic to bees to a blossoming plant shall, prior to the application, inquire of the commissioner, or of a notification service designated by the commissioner, whether any beekeeper with apiaries within one mile of the application site has requested notice of such application.

(b) If the person performing pest control is advised of a request for notification, he or she shall notify the beekeeper, at least 48 hours in advance of the application, of the time and place the application is to be made, the crop and acreage to be treated, the method of application, the identity and dosage rate of the application to be applied, and how the person performing pest control may be contacted by the beekeeper. This time may be increased or decreased by the commissioner, or by an agreement of both the beekeeper and the person performing the pest control work.

(c) This section shall apply statewide. However, from March 15 through May 15 in a citrus/bee protection area, if there are conflicts between the provisions of this section and those of section 6656, section 6656 shall prevail.

 

NOTE: Authority cited: Section 29102, Food and Agricultural Code.

Reference: Section 29102, Food and Agricultural Code.

 

6656. Citrus/Bee Protection Area.

(a) The area within one mile of any citrus planting of one acre or more in Fresno, Kern, or Tulare County is designated as a citrus/bee protection area.

(b) The citrus bloom period, in any citrus grove, for purposes of declaring bloom and label interpretation, shall be from when 10 percent of the total citrus blossoms are open until 75 percent of the blossom petal on the north side of the trees have fallen. The commissioner shall give public notice of the official beginning and ending dates of each citrus bloom period for each citrus growing district in the county, at least three days before establishing such dates.

(c) Pesticide applications may be made 48 hours or more after the official end of citrus bloom without advance notification to beekeepers until March 15 of the following year pursuant to section 6654(c). Growers/pesticide applicators wishing to make pesticide applications prior to 48 hours after the official end of bloom shall follow the inquiry and notification procedures specified in subsections(a) and (b) of section 6654.

(d) Each person who owns or operates any apiary within a citrus/bee protection area from March 15 through May 31, shall file a written notice of apiary locations with the commissioner before March 15 and shall update such notice, including notice of departure from the citrus/bee protection area.

(e) Within a citrus/bee protection area, each beekeeper who desires notifications of applications of pesticides shall be available for telephone contact at the beekeeper's expense between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday from March 15 through May 31, to receive advance notice for persons intending to apply pesticide(s).

(f) Any person intending to apply a pesticide toxic to bees to citrus during a citrus bloom period, except as otherwise provided in this subsection, shall file a notice of intent with the commissioner as provided in section 6434(b) at least 48 hours prior to the intended application. This subsection shall not apply to pesticides listed in section 6656(g) applied when bees are inactive.

(g) Notwithstanding section 6654(b), the following pesticide applications may be made within a citrus/bee protection area during the citrus bloom period when bees are inactive without notifications to beekeepers:

(1) Methomyl (Lannate);
(2) formetanate (Carzol);
(3) Chlorpyrifos (Lorsban);
(4) Any pesticide applied so that the RT period shown on the labeling will expire before the next period of bee activity.

(h) Except for applications of pesticides listed in subsection (g), and applications of pesticides that are not toxic to bees, within a citrus/bee protection area during the citrus bloom period, an application delay of 48 hours or more requires that the person intending to apply the pesticide re-contact beekeepers and inform them of the change in scheduling.

(i) The following applications to citrus are prohibited within a citrus/bee protection area:

(1) Carbaryl (Sevin) from first bloom until complete petal fall.
(2) Any pesticide toxic to bees, except those exempted in subsection (g) during a citrus bloom period, unless the need for control of lepidoptera larvae or citrus thrips (Scirtothrips citri) has been established by written recommendation of a representative of the University of California, Agricultural Extension Service, or a licensed agricultural pest control adviser. The recommendation shall state either that the citrus planting does not meet the citrus bloom period criteria, or why alternatives less hazardous to bees would not be effective. For azinphos-methyl (Guthion), this requirement shall remain in effect until complete petal fall.