The rain has finally started falling in Northern California bringing green pastures, tree blossoms and wildflowers. Some of our hives have finished pollinating almond orchards and are exploding with activity! In the photo to the left, you can see hundreds of bees hanging out of the hives’ doors. The bees are busy making honey and […]
From Scientific American A heap of dead bees was supposed to become food for a newly captured praying mantis. Instead, the pile ended up revealing a previously unrecognized suspect in colony collapse disorder—a mysterious condition that for several years has been causing declines in U.S. honeybee populations, which are needed to pollinate many important crops. […]
“Asian Honey, Banned in Europe, Is Flooding U.S. Grocery Shelves” FDA has the laws needed to keep adulterated honey off store shelves but does little, honey industry says. by Andrew Schneider | Aug 15, 2011 A third or more of all the honey consumed in the U.S. is likely to have been smuggled in from […]
“Pollinators in Peril” Written by Oliver Woodier, Advanced Master Gardener To help stem the decline of pollinators it is recommended that gardeners cut back on pesticide use, create nectar-filled gardens and provide and protect nesting sites. Home gardeners should if possible, plant native wildflowers adapted to local/regional soil and climatic conditions. These and other small […]
Choose a location in full sun and, if possible, in the shelter of a wall or large shrubs. Fill the bed with a variety of native plants or a mix of natives and old fashioned cultivated favorites that are high in nectar. Use long blooming annuals and shorter blooming perennials so there is an unbroken […]
The following articles are by Mr. Tom Ogren, the author of five published books, including Allergy-free Gardening, and also of, Safe Sex in the Garden both from Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, California. Tom does consulting on allergies and landscaping for, among others, the USDA urban foresters, the American Lung Association, for county asthma coalitions, landscape, […]
“Great Gardening” Written by Sally Cunningham Elementary school teachers and naturalists preach that insects are our friends, but we still have a largely insect-phobic culture. When Mom screeches upon seeing a bee, when Uncle Joe kills every insect he sees and when the horror movie features giant spiders, little Johnnie learns fear.
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