This is the time of year when the sap begins to rise in the Florida beekeeper. The Ides of March are not far off when citrus traditionally blooms. And in recent years it has become more and more risky.
Regional considerations are also important.
Although citrus plantings continue to increase southward from the Central Florida Ridge, often the soils and conditions under which the trees are growing, as well as varieties of trees, can be very different than those beekeepers might be used to. Nobody knows for sure, but experiences by some suggest that plantings in south Florida on less well drained soils do not provide the nectar crops expected on the Central Florida Ridge. Certainly this is true for the wild bee forage. Aldicarb is a nematicide and systemic insecticide which some believe also acts as a powerful growth stimulator. It is usually disked into the soil and when activated by water, can kill nematodes in the soil and is conducted through the plants vascular system.