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People are invited to dance or sing along to the organization's video, 'The Mummy Shake'.

Tim Hearden, Western Farm Press

October 28, 2020

1 Min Read
Almond mummies
Nuts left in almond orchards after harvest can provide a home for overwintering pests. The Almond Board of California has been conducting a campaign to remind growers to remove “mummy” nuts.UCANR

The Almond Board of California has found a unique way to remind growers to remove “mummy” nuts from their orchards.

In conjunction with Halloween, the board is holding its third annual Mummy Shake Video Contest, in which industry members and allied businesses were invited to submit video footage of their families dancing – or even singing – along to “The Mummy Shake.”

The song is set to the tune of the 1962 novelty song “Monster Mash” by Bobby “Boris” Pickett and extols the virtues of clearing out mummies, or nuts left on the tree after harvest, and preventing the overwintering of navel orangeworm (NOW).

“For those less familiar, NOW is the primary insect pest in California almonds, posing a high risk to the crop as the worms bore into the nut and feed on the nutmeat,” board spokeswoman Ashley Knoblauch said in an email. “This not only damages the nut but also opens the door to Aspergillus molds that can produce aflatoxins, a food safety contaminant.”

This year’s contest started Oct. 26 and will run until 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20. Entries will be judged based on enthusiasm, creativity and composition, and the winner will receive a $500 Amazon gift card.

A full list of contest rules may be found at Almonds.com/MummyShakeRules.

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