Frequent Flyers

About one-third of all the food we eat is made possible through hardworking honeybees. In fact, billions of bees are needed this time of the year to help pollinate 1.5 million acres of almond trees in California’s Central Valley, which is the largest single pollination event on earth.

That massive number of bees needed to pollinate almonds come from many different locations, including Belliston Brothers Apiaries in Burley, a few miles from our Redox Bio-Nutrients Headquarters.

Ryan Razee and Joel Smith took over the operation six years ago, and they continue the company’s tradition of providing healthy hives for pollination, quality honey (including to Sue Bee Honey) and beeswax.

Late winter and early spring, their major work is shepherding millions of bees from Idaho to blooming almond orchards in California’s Central Valley. Weather in the Golden State has been unusually wet, which is a positive for the state’s water outlook but makes successful pollination more difficult.

“It has definitely been challenging this year,” Smith said. “The weather down there this year has been causing it to where obviously the almonds actually are not able to bud out as quickly, and the bees are not able to get out as much. But, they usually generally do pretty good, as far as being able to get out – even on cooler days.”

Working hives is laborious and requires continual vigilance to ensure the bees are healthy and content. One of the biggest challenges is the varroa mite, which can have devastating consequences for hives far and wide.

At the end of the day, the beekeepers said they get great satisfaction out of playing an important role in growing food.

“I really love it,” Razee said. “It is a job that comes with its ups and downs, but I love it and feel like we are a big part of the ag community.”