Cocoa trees are treated with pesticides and fungicides.[16] Cocoa harvest is not restricted to one period per year and occurs over a period of several months to the whole year.[17] Pods are harvested at multiple times during the harvest season because they do not all ripen at once.[17] Pod ripening is judged by pod color, and ripe pods are harvested from the trunk and branches of the cocoa tree with a curved knife on a long pole.[17] The pods are opened and wet beans are removed.[16][17] Wet beans are transported to a facility so they can be fermented and dried.[16][18]