HARRINGTON — Delaware officials are seeking public feedback and input on a draft plan to protect and enhance populations of bees and other valuable pollinators in the state, unveiled Wednesday at Delaware Ag Week.
The Managed Pollinator Protection Plan includes best management practices that beekeepers, fruit and vegetable growers, and pesticide applicators can use to help pollinators thrive. It also includes strategies to increase the quantity and quality of pollinator forage on private and public lands. A copy of the plan is available online at de.gov/pollinatorplan.
“We want to put new tools directly in the hands of people who want to support bee health, which has a direct impact on Delaware’s fruit and vegetable crops,” said Faith Kuehn, plant industries administrator for the Delaware Department of Agriculture. “Many different factors can put stresses on pollinator populations, meaning there are many different ways to help.”
Pollinated crops in Delaware include watermelon, cucumbers, strawberries, cantaloupes, apples, blueberries, cranberries, squash and pumpkins. Delaware farmers bring in about 3,000 bee colonies each year to maximize crop pollination, adding to the work of the state’s 270 registered beekeepers who have between 2,000 and 3,000 hives.
One tool to protect sensitive crops is the DriftWatch program, an online initiative that helps farmers and beekeepers alert pesticide applicators about special areas before they spray, said Chris Wade, pesticide compliance administrator at the Delaware Department of Agriculture. “The DriftWatch tool is all about opening up dialogues and increasing communication between pesticide applicators, growers, and beekeepers,” Wade said. More information is available at http://dda.delaware.gov/pesticides/Driftwatch.shtml.
Delaware is also involved in a three-year project to create demonstration and education sites showcasing forage and land management practices supporting bees and promote honey production and develop best management practices for improving bee forage availability and quantity.
Comments on the plan should be submitted by March 15. More information is available at de.gov/pollinatorplan.
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Contact:
Dan Shortridge
Director of Communications and Marketing
Delaware Department of Agriculture
302-698-4520