Both products are controlled by an AI-based software system linked to a mobile phone app, and each is fitted with a GPS tool so that farm workers know which areas of a field have been treated.
“Travel can stress honey bees and weaken colonies, but the business of pollinating almonds is hugely important for beekeeper income, and keeping their operations economically viable,” she says.
Other commentators point to the high mortality rate of honeybees in the almond fields, with beekeepers blaming exposure to pesticides, and the stress of their hives being transported thousands of miles.
In addition, Mr Sade says that such intensive use of honeybees “poses a threat to indigenous wild bees who are forced to compete for food, and are exposed to new diseases”.
Diane Drinkwater from the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) counters that “if bee health and welfare are prioritised, then the need for artificial pollination is largely unnecessary”.
“Bees have been pollinating fine for millions of years mainly for free, except for the bribery offered by the flowers in the form of nectar,” she adds.
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