Citrus Greening Poses Threat To Florida Beekeepers – WUSF News

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http://wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/post/citrus-greening-poses-threat-florida-beek…

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Publish date:

Tue 2013-Nov-12

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Ashley Lopez

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Years ago it was citrus canker ravaging groves. The latest natural blight is bacteria called “citrus greening”—and it’s already cost growers millions.

There’s still no real cure for greening, but growers have been inundating their groves with pesticides, which is providing some relief.

However, these pesticides are causing trouble for beekeepers who are also trying to weather some tough environmental stresses.

Harold Curtis has been growing juice oranges in his grove near Fort Myers for almost two decades.  He said he was first a beekeeper. Producing honey has been in his family for generations, but several bad years led Curtis to leave beekeeping for orange groves. Now, “citrus greening” has hit that business hard.

“I mean, you can see, a lot of this fruit right here on the ground, that’s greening,” Curtis said as he kicks around shrunken oranges on the ground.

Like most growers, Curtis said the only way to save his crop is by spraying pesticides and killing off insects called psyllids, which spread the bacteria that causes greening.

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Original title:

Citrus Greening Poses Threat To Florida Beekeepers – WUSF News

Original text (summary):

Years ago it was citrus canker ravaging groves. The latest natural blight is bacteria called “citrus greening”—and it’s already cost growers millions.

There’s still no real cure for greening, but growers have been inundating their groves with pesticides, which is providing some relief.

However, these pesticides are causing trouble for beekeepers who are also trying to weather some tough environmental stresses.

Harold Curtis has been growing juice oranges in his grove near Fort Myers for almost two decades.  He said he was first a beekeeper. Producing honey has been in his family for generations, but several bad years led Curtis to leave beekeeping for orange groves. Now, “citrus greening” has hit that business hard.

“I mean, you can see, a lot of this fruit right here on the ground, that’s greening,” Curtis said as he kicks around shrunken oranges on the ground.

Like most growers, Curtis said the only way to save his crop is by spraying pesticides and killing off insects called psyllids, which spread the bacteria that causes greening.

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