Bloom season is underway and for citrus, this establishes the beginning of a time period when the use of insecticides is greatly restricted in citrus groves. As 10% bloom is declared in each district, all citrus growers, pest control operators, and beekeepers must comply with the regulations covering the citrus/bee protection areas (section 6654 and 6656, California Code of Regulations). The area within one mile of any citrus planting of one acre or more is designated as a citrus/bee protection area.
Below are the bloom declarations:
- Kern County South of 7th Standard Road – Thursday, March 28, 2019
- Fresno County Districts 1 & 2 – Wednesday, April 3, 2019
- Kern County North of 7th Standard Road – Friday, April 5, 2019
- Fresno County District 3 – Tuesday, April 9, 2019
- Tulare County District 1 – Tuesday, April 9, 2019
- Fresno County District 4 – Friday, April 12, 2019
- Tulare County District 2 – Tuesday, April 16, 2019
County officials and the Citrus Bloom Advisory Committee will be checking citrus groves to determine when 75% petal fall will be reached. The announcement of petal fall lifts the restrictions of applications to citrus groves with materials toxic to honeybees. This will allow the citrus grower to apply the necessary pesticides to protect their crop from insect pests.
The following counties have declared petal fall:
- Kern County South of 7th Standard Road – Sunday, April 21, 2019
- Fresno County Districts 1 & 2 – Saturday, April 27, 2019
- Kern County North of 7th Standard Road – Sunday, April 28, 2019
- Fresno County District 3 – Monday, April 29, 2019
- Tulare County District 1 – Monday, April 29, 2019
- Fresno County District 4 – Tuesday, April 30, 2019
- Tulare County District 2 – Friday, May 3, 2019
