129 – Ron Bitner – Vineyards for Pollinators

Transcript

coming soon

Idaho and Oregon’s Treasure Valley have a deep connection to bee management for alfalfa seed, but in this episode we hear about how that tradition is being transferred to pollinator management in vineyards.

Ron Bitner is the newest board member of Pollinator Partnership. He received his Ph.D. in Entomology from Utah State University in 1976, where he conducted his dissertation research on the alkali bee. He has decades of experience in management and consulting of non-Apis bees and crops requiring their pollination. Today, Ron and his wife Mary live in the beautiful Snake River Valley of Southwest Idaho. Along with their family, they are the Owner/Operators of Bitner Vineyards LLC, growing 15 acres of premium wine grapes, first planted in 1981. They were Pacific Northwest Magazine’s 2009 Idaho Winery of the year., Canyon County 2013 Farm Family of the Year, and have the only LIVE certified sustainable vineyard in Idaho (www.bitnervineyards.com).

You can Subscribe and Listen to PolliNation on Apple Podcasts.

And be sure to leave us a Rating and Review!

Links Mentioned:

Was this page helpful?

Related Content from OSU Extension

64 Mike Rodia – Residential Beekeeping and the Law

Ralph (Mike) Rodia, a life time member of the Oregon State Beekeepers Association (OSBA) and the Willamette Valley Beekeepers Association [WVBA], has a PhD in Organic Chemistry, was a research scientist, college educator, ...

Andony Melathopoulos | Aug 2018 | Podcast episode

79 Robyn Shephard – Hybrid Vegetable Seed Pollination

Oregon is one of the biggest vegetable seed producing states in the US. In this episode, we catch up with Robyn Shephard, an agronomist with Lakeside Ag-Ventures, in a red radish seed field to learn how hybrid systems work...

Andony Melathopoulos | Dec 2018 | Podcast episode

84 Kathleen Baughman – Nurseries and Pollinators

Kathleen Baughman is a 1995 graduate of Washington State University with a degree in Landscape Architecture. In 2009, Kathleen made a lateral shift into Horticulture and worked in pest management at a rose nursery for several years before coming to Iwasaki Bros., Inc.

Andony Melathopoulos | Jan 2019 | Podcast episode

87 Steve Peterson – How To Make Mason Bees Thrive?

Steve Peterson has been working with cavity nesting bees for a long time. How long is a bit of a mystery, as Steve is going full bore placing blue orchard bees out in California almond orchards at the time of writing (and catching up with Steve at this juncture would be very, very hard).

Andony Melathopoulos | Feb 2019 | Podcast episode

Northern giant hornets in Oregon?

Have residents of Arlington reported Asian giant hornet sightings? Several of my co-workers at the solar-farm have seen a large dark orange hornet starting in July, much like the pictures on the Internet. Can one of your entomologists come and verify if we are seeing the Asian giant hornet?

Andony Melathopoulos, Anna Ashby | Aug 2022 | Featured question

10 Aimee Code – Using Pesticides around Bee Habitat

Aimee Code is the Pesticide Program Director at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. During her career she has worked in urban and agricultural setting to mitigate the risks of pesticide use and promote integrated ...

Andony Melathopoulos | Jun 2017 | Podcast episode

Create a home landscape for pollinators: Butterflies, bees and hummingbirds

Plant flowers of all different colors, shapes and sizes to create your own pollinator paradise at home. What else attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds? Start with native shrubs and trees.

May 2018 | Article

How to help bees survive a heat wave

Extreme summer heat can pose a danger to bees. Although bees have ways to keep cool, many gardeners put out shallow trays of water and pebbles to help them. Does that help? Here's what the science says.

Andony Melathopoulos, Gail Langellotto | Jul 2021 | Article Peer reviewed (Gray level)

Living on The Land: Providing Habitat for Native Pollinators

Learn how to attract and support native pollinators by creating and maintaining the right habitat, including features like nesting sites, quality food and shelter from pesticides.

Karen Lamson, Rachel Suits, Brian Tuck, Susan Kerr, Ellen Hammond, Shilah Olson | Jan 2017 | Extension Catalog publication Peer reviewed (Orange level)

Franklin’s bumble bee remains elusive

Franklin's bumble bee is a rare bee that has not been seen since 2006, but people have been looking for it every year. Along with the western bumble bee, it is being considered for listing as an endangered species.

Jess Tyler | Aug 2020 | Article

For some bees, flowers are a place to bed down

Have you ever looked into a flower and discovered a bee just sitting there? Depending on the kind of bee, it might actually be sleeping. And that's a great time to get an up-close look at these tiny marvels.

Ellen M. Silva | Jul 2020 | Article

Family Rosaceae — Rosa woodsii — Woods' rose

Woods' rose is a common wild rose that grows in a variety of habitats in the Pacific Northwest and provides habitat for a variety of bees and other wildlife. Its fragrant pink flowers attract bees and other pollinators.

Phil Paterno | Jun 2020 | Article

Eschscholzia californica (California poppy)

The California poppy blooms from March to October and attracts hundreds of native bees. It grows in grassy areas up to 7,000 feet. Flowers respond phototropically to low light levels, closing at night and on cloudy days.

Jeannette Krampien, Greg Low | Sep 2020 | Article

Eriogonum umbellatum (sulphur-flower buckwheat)

Sulphur-flower buckwheat is a perennial forb or subshrub that grows in sandy and gravelly areas in sagebrush communities on dry slopes, ridges and rock outcrops at elevations up to 10,000 feet.

Jeannette Krampien, Greg Low | Sep 2020 | Article

Eriogonum heracleoides (parsnip-flower buckwheat)

Parsnip-flower buckwheat features white to yellow flowers on branching woody stems that are 4 to 24 inches tall. Bloom is from May to July or later in higher elevations. Found in forest openings and on ridges.

Jeannette Krampien, Greg Low | Sep 2020 | Article

Cheery garden cosmos

In late summer as most seasonal flowering plants start to wither, the cheery garden cosmos is still blooming strong. It is also attracting a diversity of bees, pollinators and other beneficial insects.

Candy Solovjovs | Oct 2020 | Article

Chamaenerion angustifolium (fireweed)

Fireweed is a perennial forb with erect stems 1 to 6 feet tall. Pink flowers grow on long stems, and bloom occurs June to September. Grows in moist to dry disturbed areas such as clearings, roadsides and river bars.

Jeannette Krampien, Greg Low | Sep 2020 | Article

Have a question? Ask Extension!

Ask Extension is a way for you to get answers from the Oregon State University Extension Service. We have experts in family and health, community development, food and agriculture, coastal issues, forestry, programs for young people, and gardening.

Ask us a question