Bee-ing There for the Vote

Beekeepers with more than 50 colonies and who do business in California will soon have the opportunity to help support honey bee research.

"Honey bee research would receive a substantial shot in the arm if beekeepers operating in California decide to form the California Apiary Research Commission to support honey bee research and information distribution," said Extension apiculturist Eric Mussen of the UC Davis Department of Entomology faculty in his latest Bee Brief.

Only those beekeepers who register to vote with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) by May 30, 2011 will be allowed to vote on the July referendum. If the referendum is approved, the commission will become a reality and thousands of dollars would be funneled into honey bee research.

A 50-cent fee per hive would be assessed on the 500,000 or so colonies residing in California, Mussen said, "as well as the 700,000 or more that are trucked into California from out of state." That could involve more than 1000 beekeepers.

If one million colonies were assessed, that would mean $500,000 for honey bee research, Mussen said. 

California has some 740,000 acres of almonds, and each acre requires two colonies to pollinate them. Since California doesn't have that many bees, beekeepers across the country truck in their bees for the almond pollination season.

This all came about when the California beekeeping industry approached the state Legislature and asked for an assessment to fund much needed research. The state Legislature passed Assembly Bill 1912, which allows the formation of the commission IF--and only IF--the beekeepers vote to approve it.

So, first beekeepers eligible to vote must register by May 30, and then they vote in July.

Mussen said that at 50 cents per colony, "that would be one-third of one percent, or three one-thousandths of a $150 almond rental."

"Many beekeepers feel that reducing their income from $150 to $149.50 is worthwhile when the money is going to support research that should provide useful information for their operations," Mussen said.

We agree.

Check out Mussen's Bee Brief for more information and the registration form that can be mailed to the CDFA.