Multiagency approach helps protect pollinators in Delaware
Farmers throughout Delaware depend on both honeybees and native bees to pollinate their crops each year. It takes nearly 300 million honeybees to successfully pollinate these crops, which bring more than $38.7 million to the state's economy.
"The health of pollinators within Delaware is extremely important to the success of our family farms," said Delaware Department of Agriculture Secretary Michael T. Scuse. "From early spring all the way through late summer, bees are pollinating crops that Delawareans love to eat – strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, cantaloupes, cucumbers, apples, squash, cranberries and pumpkins. Our staff works throughout the year to ensure the safety of bees and to help increase the number of healthy colonies within the state."
In 2016, DDA released Delaware's Managed Pollinator Protection Plan, which outlines strategies, best practices, and resources to help beekeepers, farmers, landowners and pesticide applicators protect and enhance bees and other pollinators. The DDA Plant Industries section also secured a USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant to engage Delaware fruit and vegetable growers and beekeepers to work to improve the availability and quality of bee forage and decrease the bees' risk of pesticide exposure. These efforts improve the health and vitality of bees, enhance pollination of crops and enable increased production of local honey.
Laura Mensch, a DDA hydrologist, said, "We invested in DriftWatch so pesticide applicators could check where beekeepers have their hives located before spraying – either on the ground or by aerial application." In April, FieldWatch launched two free mobile apps called FieldCheck and BeeCheck, which make it easier for users to access the DriftWatch map and specialty crop and beehive data on a highly functional mobile platform.
DDA asks beekeepers to register with BeeCheck so pesticide applicators know where hives are located when they head out to spray. According to DDA State Apiarist Meghan McConnell, there are 289 registered beekeepers with 5,934 colonies in-state for 2018, but there are only 77 beekeepers registered with BeeCheck.
One of those pesticide applicators is the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control's Delaware Mosquito Control Section. For public awareness, the MCS implemented a Spray Zone Notification System, enabling a registered user to receive an alert via text, phone or email about upcoming spray activities.
In collaboration with DDA on the Delaware Managed Pollinator Protection Plan, DNREC's Mosquito Control Section updated standard operating procedures when treatments are needed around honeybees or their hives. To access DNREC Mosquito Control Section SOPs for working around bees, go to http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/mosquito/Documents/MC-Honeybees-SOP-Oct-2016.pdf and http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/mosquito/Documents/MC-Honeybees-Rationale-Oct-2016.pdf.
The Delaware Department of Agriculture, DNREC's Mosquito Control Section and the Delaware Beekeepers Association urge anyone who keeps bees in Delaware to register their beehives and sign up for all the apps that are available to help protect the state's valuable pollinators.
