Kern County Agricultural Commissioner, Ruben J. Arroyo, Announces 75% Petal Fall

Kern County Agricultural Commissioner, Ruben J. Arroyo, announces that 12:01 a.m. Friday, April 3, 2015, is the date establishing 75% petal fall on the North side of citrus trees for all citrus groves south of 7th Standard Road.

This announcement is to serve as a signal to the bee industry that the use of pesticides that are toxic to honeybees may be used on or after Sunday, April 5, 2015, without notification to the beekeeper.  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.

In order to comply with regulations, Mr. Arroyo would like to remind the citrus industry that Carbaryl (Sevin) cannot be applied to citrus until there has been complete petal fall in the citrus grove.  All citrus growers, pest control operators, and beekeepers are reminded that they must comply with the regulations covering bee protection.