During harvest pecan nuts are at risk of contamination with foodborne pathogens from extended contact with the ground. The objective of this study was to determine the potential transfer of and from the ground to in-shell pecans during the harvesting process. Plots (2 m) were sprayed with 1 L of a rifampicin (rif) resistant strain of either E. TVS 353 or an attenuated Typhimurium inoculum at a low (∼4 log CFU/ml), mid (∼6 log CFU/ml) or high (∼8 log CFU/ml) concentrations. The following day, nuts were mechanically harvested and samples from each plot were collected at 1 min, 4 h, and 24 h. Samples were enumerated for and on tryptic soy agar supplemented with rif. The levels in the soil from the inoculated plots were 2.0 ± 0.3, 4.1 ± 0.1, and 6.4 ± 0.2 log CFU/g for the low, mid, and high inocula, respectively. The levels in the soil from the inoculated plots were 1.5 ± 0.4, 3.7 ± 0.3, and 5.8 ± 0.1 log CFU/g for the low, mid, and high inocula, respectively. There was a significant difference in the average daily rainfall among the three trials. Trial 3 received 23.8 ± 9.2 cm, while trials 1 and 2 received much less (0.1 ± 0.1 0.0 ± 0.0 cm, respectively). Inoculation concentration and trial were significant () factors that influenced the transfer of and to pecans. For the high inoculum treatment, bacterial transfer to pecans ranged from 0.7 ± 0.3 to 4.1 ± 0.2 for and 1.3 ± 0.7 to 4.3 ± 0.4 log CFU/g for . For the medium inoculum treatment, transfer ranged from <0.3 to 1.5 ± 0.1 for and <0.3 to 1.9 ± 0.2 log CFU/g for . For the low treatment, transfer ranged from <0.3 to 0.4 ± 0.2 and <0.3 to 0.5 ± 0.1 log CFU/g for and respectively. These results show the need for implementing agricultural practices that prevent potential transfer of foodborne pathogens onto the surface of in-shell pecans during harvest.