Knocking Off Leftover Almonds Can Yield Double Dividends

Walt Bentley

Editor’s note: We welcome again our guest blogger UC IPM entomologist Walt Bentley, whose specialty includes managing pests in almonds.

We are collecting almond nut samples from the orchards to check for damage. To date, the damage is quite low.

Damage has been low this season.

I want to remind farmers that they should be evaluating 200 to 300 nuts throughout the orchard. Then they should compare the samples with the information received from the processor.

Worker uses pole  to knock
off remaining nuts in tree.
- Jack Kelly Clark photo

As a rule, trees should have two or fewer mummy nuts per tree by February 1. You can go to the UC IPM website for more information about pest management guidelines for NOW.

 Lack of good mummy nut removal last year was quite evident in many of the west side orchards.  This needs to be a priority if NOW is to be kept at manageable levels. It will pay off in the long run.

Walt Bentley is a long-time entomologist with the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management program at the Kearney Ag Center in Parlier.