The botanical kingdom has many interesting plants with unexpected powers of deception—often meant as a defense or a hunting tactic. Carrion flowers are a prime example, as they mimic the smell of rotting meat to attract scavenger beetles and flies to cover them in their pollen. Many carnivorous plants also attract insects with sweet odors and…
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For those of the Jewish faith, while Rosh Hashanah has passed, the season for challah and honey is still going strong. Despite the threat American bee populations are facing with their declining numbers, the Jewish beekeepers of Pittsburgh, PA are reminded to dip their bread into sweet honey and solidify a vow to protect this species…
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As many have likely heard at least once, honeybee colonies in the U.S. have been collapsing at growing rates over the last decade, and pesticides are suspected to be a major culprit of these colony collapses. This includes fungicides, herbicides, and insecticides. Many scientific studies have looked at these pesticides separately rather than investigating the…
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What does the study of bees have to do with pollen variations and season allergies? Cassandra Darnell, a science major, is conducting an ongoing independent study of the honeybees she brought to Penn State Berks in order to find out. In the spring of this year, Darnell set up four hives on Berks campus—two of…
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For Yale University, Founder’s Day is a day to commemorate centuries of its history, and it was recently established in 2014. This year, along with the usual accoutrements, however, the university is launching the Yale Sustainability Plan of 2025. Cracking down on sustainability and renewable resources, Yale’s beekeepers have begun the task of making the…
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Chicken Fajita Grill with Manuka Honey Corn Cakes If you’re looking for a different meal with some spice, flavor, and culture, this Chicken Fajita Grill with Manuka Honey Corn Cakes recipe is what you’ve been waiting for! Combining flavors like cumin, cayenne pepper, lemon, and the New Zealand-originated Manuka honey, this dish provides a healthy…
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Most kids start lemonade stands or rake leaves to earn some cash, but this seven-year-old, Jackson Moyer of Midland, MI, has starting a business of keeping bees. His inspiration came from his older sister, who started a dog walking business, so he asked his dad, Craig, if he could do something similar. Craig thought it…
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Beekeeping is becoming more popular as more species of bees become endangered, with many realizing the importance of their work and seeking to preserve bees as much as possible. Alexander and Anastasia Bartsch are two such people working to raise bees. Clara Fortmann is the owner of Lexington Interfaith Garden in Lexington, MA, where she…
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A new $30 million tourism proposal in Rotorua, New Zealand has been revealed, and it will showcase the story of Manuka honey. This tourism experience is the result of a partnership between Rotohokahoka D North 4D Trust and New Zealand Manuka Group. The NZ Manuka Group founder and chairman, Phil Caskey, said the project would…
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Despite the fear that genetically modified (GM) foods are dangerous, experts in the country of India can assure the biosafety of the crops. This likely didn’t quell many fears given the reactions from some activists, who were looking to counter the possible green stamp of approval that GM mustard plants were given by India’s Union Ministry of…
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The endangered species list has gained a new entry that may be concerning to those who live in the United States. The yellow-faced honeybee is dying off in large numbers in Hawaii, and the impact this will have on the main continent and the rest of the world is currently unknown. For Hawaii, this could…
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Gluten-Free Manuka Honey Cake For those who find themselves with gluten sensitivities, you no longer have to be denied the sweet taste of honey cake! With this Gluten-Free Manuka Honey Cake, anyone has the chance to try the sweet and spicy blend of flavor with the right dash of Manuka honey, all thanks to the…
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After seeing the rusty patched bumblebee disappear from almost 90 percent of its historic range over the past two decades, federal wildlife officials have made a formal recommendation to list this bumblebee as an endangered species. The recommendation comes from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service after the Portland, Oregon-based Xerces Society petitioned the agency…
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It would be disingenuous and wrong to label Roger Beattie of Banks Peninsula, New Zealand as just your average farmer. Then again, however, how does one describe someone who is a wild sheep breeder, a kelp entrepreneur, a blue pearl entrepreneur, and a would-be weka farmer? Beattie himself says he is an “environpreneur,” which in…
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While many may not know it, September was Bee Awareness Month—an entire month dedicated to honeybees and other bee species—and it’s in times like these that many learn just how important bees are beyond providing honey. Farmers, for instance, require honeybees for pollinating to ensure quality growth of pastures, horticulture, and arable crops. For pastoral…
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