Many of the citrus groves along the 126 freeway near the Ventura/Los Angeles county line have taken on the look of a giant Christo-wrapped art installation.
Unlike the Christo art projects, the wrapping of the trees goes beyond art and is all about nature.
The nets are placed over the groves to keep bees from cross-pollinating the trees.
Seedless-mandarin growers do not want cross-pollination to occur on their trees because if pollen is transferred from blossoms on Valencia orange trees or lemon trees to the blossoms on their seedless-mandarin trees, the latter will develop seeds and lower the value of the seedless crops.
Most citrus is self-pollinating and does not require the work of the bees, so they must buzz on to other unwrapped groves.