As if honey bees are not having enough problems these days! On Sunday, a local Florida beekeeper noticed that something was amiss with his hives. Horace Bell, who is arguably one of the largest beekeepers in the United States, found millions of dead bees when he checked his hives. Additionally, many of the bees that…
Details
All of a sudden, Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has become the honey bee’s biggest advocate in Washington D.C. After appearing in Upstate New York last week, Schumer appears to have a new affection for the honey bee. The problem was brought to his attention during that appearance and Schumer vowed to help the state’s agriculture…
Details
South Dakota is regularly among the biggest contributors to the honey industry in the United States. It is also among the leaders in the pollination industry, so any untypical loss in honey bees is going to set the state back considerably. Due to the significant loss of hives over the last year, the entire country…
Details
For all the negative stories about the plight of honey bees right now, it is so refreshing when we see or hear about a story where even a few people are trying to make a difference. Such is the story of Will Hatchel, who has created a sort of “bee oasis” in the backyard of…
Details
It is no secret beekeepers throughout the world are struggling to keep their hives healthy. On a regular basis, beekeepers are fighting pesticides, weather, and sloppy newcomer practices, all of which are leading to record losses in recent years. In addition to those problems, there is one more challenge that may, in fact, be the…
Details
A local honey store in Polk County, FLA, Struther’s Honey, caught a small honey-theft ring on tape and now the local sheriff’s office is looking for help to lock up the culprits. The store is putting a lot of faith in its customers by allowing them to pay on the honor system. While the “thieves”…
Details
Now, I don’t know about you, but one of my favorite “breads” on the planet is banana bread. Of course, you are not going to be slapping a slice of ham, a slice of cheese, and mayo on this anytime soon, but it is by far one of the more flexible breads we can make.…
Details
Recently, the federal government decided to cut funding for what bee advocates consider to be a vital study on the honey bee population. Due to the problems with the colony collapse disorder as well as weather problems that have created more honey bee loss than usual over the winter, even missing a single year of…
Details
Education goes a long way to alleviate fear when it comes to honey bees. The fact of the matter is most people simply do not understand the normal behavior of a bee. In many cases, the normal and unaggressive actions of bees are considered a threat by those unfamiliar with them, and that is something…
Details
There are more than a few people that believe honey, particularly Manuka honey, can help in more ways than just a healthy diet. We have heard story after story about Manuka honey being used to heal wounds and treat minor scarring. We have actually reported several stories right here of vets or farmers using Manuka…
Details
The honey bee community was just dealt another blow by the current administration. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has decided to lift the ban on sulfoxaflor. This is a chemical that had been banned back in 2015 but will once again be permitted to use in pesticides. This is happening even though the EPA itself…
Details
Is there anything that screams summer like corn on the cob? Now, I don’t know about you, but corn on the cob is something we make at virtually every BBQ during the summer. It is the best time of year for corn, and if you can get white corn on the cob, forget about it!…
Details
In a recent post, we discussed how honey can be used as a skin care hack. This time around, we want to highlight how honey can be used in your hair care regimen. It may not seem like the ideal item to put in your hair, but you will be amazed at how well it…
Details
Lately, it seems like all we have been reporting is negative news, but that, unfortunately, is the state of the industry right now. The honey production numbers from Wisconsin are finally in and once again, it is not good news. Wisconsin hit a 10-year low in 2018, producing a total of 2.3 million pounds. This…
Details
As if our honey bees do not have enough challenges already, now a new disease has popped up that is capable of wiping out entire colonies. American Foulbrood is running rampant in Tennessee and it has more than a few beekeepers hitting the panic button. The disease can literally destroy an entire colony if it…
Details