New Regulations - Seedless Mandarin and Honeybee Coexistence

Post date: Feb 24, 2010 6:50:28 PM

    Carlen Jupe from the California State Beekeepers Association was kind enough to remind us that the new regulations concerning placement of bees in orange groves are now in effect.

    The bottom line is that you do have to register by March 1 with the appropriate County Ag Commissioners, the places you will be putting bees in orange groves, and you do have to confer with any grower who objects, but you don't have to move your bees.

    From the CDFA regulation page (http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/regulations.html#mandarin):

* Sections 1430.54 -1430.57 of the regulations in Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations:

The Office of Administrative Law has approved this regulatory action pursuant to section 11349.3 of the Government Code. This regulatory action becomes effective on 2/24/2010. The Department of Food and Agriculture adopts sections 1430.54, 1430.55, 1430.56 and 1430.57 in Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations to address coexistence issues related to the production of seedless mandarin varieties in close proximity to the apiaries of beekeepers. These regulations are limited in application to Fresno, Kern, Madera and Tulare Counties.

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/Regulations/General/MandarinBees_FinalTextOfRegulation.pdf (PDF file - 22,518 bytes)

* NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the Department of Food and Agriculture intends to adopt Sections 1430.54 -1430.57 of the regulations in Title 3 of the California Code of Regulations pertaining to Seedless Mandarin and Honeybee Coexistence.

http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/Regulations/General/Mandarin_Bees.pdf (PDF file - 58,941 bytes)