Protecting bees while baiting

During almond flowering, honey bees are vital for pollination and protecting them is our highest priority. PIRSA and commercial growers are committed to ensuring all fruit fly baiting in Riverland outbreak areas is managed in ways that keep bees safe while still controlling fruit fly.

Why bee safety comes first

Honey bees are essential to almond production and their health underpins both the crop and the wider environment. While research shows that honey bees are not attracted to fruit fly bait, and that impacts are minimal when bait dries, PIRSA avoids any practices that could put bees at risk.

Key protections include:

• No bait applied directly to plants in flower if bees are active, preventing direct application or drift of bait mix onto beehives.
• Care taken to prevent drift of bait mix onto beehives.
• Application methods and timing planned to minimise bee exposure.

Learn more about PIRSA’s approach to protecting bees in fruit fly outbreak areas, including baiting methods, timing, and risk minimisation strategies.

How we manage baiting during pollination

Fruit fly bait is normally applied in outbreak areas to help stop the pest's spread. PIRSA applies bait within 200 metres of a confirmed detection, while registered commercial growers in the self-baiting program apply bait on their own properties in outbreak areas.

However, in almond orchards during flowering, baiting is paused or adjusted to protect pollinating bees. Where baiting is required nearby:

• PIRSA and growers work around pollination schedules
• bait is applied only when bees aren't active.

Working with beekeepers

If you are a commercial grower with almonds and are self-baiting, you must contact your beekeeper before applying bait. This ensures no disruption to pollination activities and that bee safety measures are in place.

We provide general guidance on reducing the risk of pesticides to bees, including how to plan applications and avoid bee exposure.

Baiting safety during pollination and our shared responsibility

Protecting pollinators while managing fruit fly is a shared effort. PIRSA asks commercial growers registering for self-baiting to follow the same procedures PIRSA adopts during the different stages of flowering:

• Early almond flowering period: PIRSA will bait properties, but not in almond orchards.
• Peal flowering period: PIRSA will not apply bait in almond orchards when they are in full flower. The risk of fruit flies being present in almond orchards at these times and under intense bee pressure is likely to be very low.
• End of blossom period: Almond growers should work with beekeepers to permit removal of hives from orchards when pollination ends in late August.

For more information on baiting requirements in outbreak areas, or to discuss bee safety during pollination, contact the PIRSA Fruit Fly Response team.