Alkali bees, ground nesting bees, have evolved into effective pollinators of alfalfa flowers and have become the ideal choice for farms to rely on for pollination of the crop. This solitary species helps the alfalfa seed flourish, providing an economic boost to farm owners. These seeds can eventually be sold for growing hay for cows…
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There’s nothing nicer than spring weather. Trees and flowers start to bloom, bees begin to pollinate, and the sun seems to shine a little brighter. However, if you’re too busy fighting allergy season, the beauty of spring may feel lost on you or even ruined. With the lovely weather comes pollen, and with pollen comes…
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In 2007, Veronica Mars premiered, and America soon fell in love with the crime series (set to make a comeback on Netflix) and with Kristen Bell as the young detective in a small town. Bell would later appear in blockbuster hits like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Get Him to the Greek, and animated hits like Frozen. Now,…
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Smoky Lemon Garlic Cornish Hens While enjoying the new spring season, how about celebrating the season further by adding a few Cornish hens to your dinner menu? Nothing welcomes the warm, new season better than spring chickens! Cornish hens, leaner and smaller than your average chicken, are a perfect size for one person to finished…
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It takes about 60,000 bees to travel up to 55,000 miles and visiting more than 2 million flowers, to gather enough nectar to make one pound of honey. Raw honey is a truly remarkable substance and a great product with amazing benefits you should include in your diet. Beekeepers have acres of large bee colonies…
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Honey is a natural sweetener and its many different varieties are available based on the hundreds of different flowers and plants frequented by bees. Raw manuka honey is made from the tea tree bush native to New Zealand and it has a dark color and robust flavor. Among the many advantages of raw manuka honey…
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The Genome of T. mercedesae Researchers have been looking into the genome sequence of mites, specifically the Tropilaelaps mercedesae, to understand their interaction with honeybees and how to best mitigate their ability to harm honeybee colonies. By studying their genomes, researchers are trying to discover how these mites control their hosts. Understanding this mite’s genome…
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Pathogen Patterns By studying the genes of honeybees, scientists may one day better comprehend the diseases and viruses that affect them, specifically how their genes resist. “In the past decade, honeybee populations have experienced severe and persistent losses across the Northern Hemisphere, mainly due to the effects of pathogens, such as fungi and viruses,” says…
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A honeybee hive’s natural environment determines the color, consistency, and flavor of the honey within it. Simply put, honey has terroir, defined as the characteristic taste and flavor imparted to wine by the environment in which it’s made. Anthony Hamilton Russell, who owns the Hamilton Russell Vineyards in South America, directly compares honey to wine because…
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Manuka Investment Landowners in New Zealand are getting the chance to become a part of the successful Manuka honey industry, with the offer of Manuka seedlings by the millions. Greg Palmer and Mark Struthers, manager and owner of Nga Rakau Nurseries respectively, are offering high performance seedlings to landowners who are interested in investing, which…
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The Celebrity Hedgehog Leslie Dowling, who hails from South Woodham Ferrers, received a call from a family member about a hedgehog running around. Her husband’s Aunt Pauline, who had just had major heart surgery, was forced to spend a lot of time at home. One morning, just outside her bedroom door, Pauline noticed the little…
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Whether you need them to cool down or treat yourself after a workout, here are four healthy Popsicle recipes that will help you just when you need them most! These delicious treats are bound to please any crowd without the sugary crash, and they are easy enough to make if you’re in need of something…
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The Decision Aid System The Decision Aid System (DAS), which Washington tree fruit farmers use to predict when tree fruit will blossom, the best fruit size, and the best bee foraging times, is being updated and tested this year by Washington State University (WSU), which came up with the system in the first place. This…
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Writer, Farmer, Parent As a writer and a farmer in the Kaihoka area of New Zealand, Joyce Wyllie has a full schedule. In the column she writes for a Kaihoka paper, Wyllie answered the question most people asked her, which is, “What do you do out there in the country?” During the late summer season,…
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Caring for a Hedgehog Hedgehogs are generally healthy and overall easy pets to take care of—and to love of course. They tend to experience few problems and, being as small as they are, take up very little space. While a hedgehog is a simple pet when it comes to pet care, there are a few…
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