[Pollinator] Calif. beekeepers fear no-fly zones

[Matthew Shepherd (Xerces Society)]

Calif. beekeepers fear no-fly zones
By JACOB ADELMAN Associated Press Writer 
© 2006 The Associated Press 

>From Houston Chronicle; 12/6/06
Full article at: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/4382542.html

VISALIA, Calif. — In this patchwork of fruit and nut fields in California's citrus belt, honey and oranges don't mix anymore.

Growers of clementines and other seedless oranges gaining popularity among consumers say cross-pollination by bees is creating unwanted seeds in their crops. They want to establish no-fly zones to end the apian invasions.

But beekeepers aren't buzzing off. For decades, their bees were tolerated in the sprawling orchards as they turned orange blossom nectar into dependable honey crops. The beekeepers fear no-fly zones _ established by keeping hives miles from orchards _ could put them out of business.

"Half of my honey income is what I make in the oranges," David Bradshaw, 50, said at the honey-processing operation started by his father, Howard Bradshaw, in the early 1970s. A couple miles away are newly planted clementine orchards.

The conflict comes as growers try to cash in on the growing national hunger for the convenience of seedless produce, and beekeepers struggle to recover from years of erratic production caused by bad weather and mite-infested hives.

Watching nervously from the sidelines are growers of other crops who need healthy bees to pollinate their plants.

On Dec. 12, Central Valley beekeepers will meet with the trade group California Citrus Mutual to hear the organization's proposal for bee-free areas.
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The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
The Xerces Society is an international nonprofit organization that 
protects the diversity of life through invertebrate conservation. To 
join the Society, make a contribution, or read about our work, 
please visit www.xerces.org.

Matthew Shepherd
Director, Pollinator Conservation Program
4828 SE Hawthorne Boulevard, Portland, OR 97215, USA
Tel: 503-232 6639 Fax: 503-233 6794
Email: mdshepherd at xerces.org 
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