The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has come across a direct link between honeybee health and bacteria. A team of scientists and their collaborators studied the effects of each bee’s diet and the bacteria that can be found inside their digestive system. A honeybee’s diet consists of two things: nectar and honey. Both are…
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Best Bees aims for a social purpose that encourages saving honeybee populations. Approximately half of the U.S.’s bee colonies were lost in 2015 and 2016. Millions of hives are collapsing, with many suspecting the cause to be related to colony collapse disorder, the phenomena where a colony’s worker bees suddenly vanish, severely crippling or even…
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Manuka Honey Carrot Layer Cake For those looking for a naturally sweet dessert that offers the best flavors but without the intense amount of sugar that comes with them, this Carrot Manuka Honey Layer Cake is the way to go! Substituting added sugar with natural sugars found in carrots and Manuka honey, this recipe offers…
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Honeybees are known to form their hives in more secluded, closed off spaces. This is why the roof of the opera house Palais Garnier seems to be one place that fits their liking, and the opera house is now a producer of its own honey. Recently, a few bees have moved into the Paris opera…
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Honeybees have a way of adapting to get through the winter—in fact, they can change their colony and their own physiology to withstand the colder weather. The honeybees that can make it through winter are more likely to get a head start on spring. During early spring, they’re able to meet pollination needs before smaller,…
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The holidays is the one time of year where baking and creating delectable sweets is at an all-time high throughout the year. Everyone is busy making apple pies, custards, cookies and many other delicious desserts for the various parties and get-togethers that happen over the span of a couple of months. In order to make…
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Brooklyn’s Green Wood Cemetery serves as the resting place for at least 560,000 people including composer Leonard Bernstein, editor Horace Greeley, actor Frank Morgan, and the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, who was known to be a good friend to Andy Warhol. In addition to the thousands of dearly departed who now call Green Wood Cemetery their…
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There have been new discoveries regarding deformed wing virus (DWV), a threat to honeybee colonies in most parts of the world. DWV is typically associated with varroa mites, which are another threat to bees that can spread the virus within a colony. The mites are small blood sucking parasites known to infect adult bees through…
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Heavy rains in South Australia are delaying plants from blossoming and leaving beekeepers without honey. The rainfall seems to be slowing down production, especially in Adelaide Hills. It is ironic considering lack of rain and dry seasons are usually the greatest concern with most farms, as a proper balance of rainfall and dryness being an essential…
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Manuka Honey, Banana Dog Treats Most dog owners enjoy rewarding their family pets during training sessions or just when they feel their dogs deserve something sweet for themselves. While it is always fine to buy a box of treats at the store, if you’re looking to feed your dog something healthier or more personal and…
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In Doubtless Bay, New Zealand, at least tens of thousands of bees or 300 hives were killed. The owners of Daykel Apiaries and the lost hives believe the cause of death may have been poisoning. So far, no one knows what happened to the bees, but many believe the deaths were a form of sabotage…
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Why Dogs Love Honeybees Too! Not only are bee products well considered among humans, but even the family dog can reap the fruits of honeybees’ labor. Research is still being performed to determine what exact substances contribute to the properties that make up in bee products, but our canine friends seem to be enjoying it…
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During the 2016 California Association of Pest Control Adviser (CAPCA) Conference, issues relating to honeybees were at the forefront of the event. Speaker Karen Francone of the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) focused on the importance of honeybees and bee health in general. One of her points focused on pest control advisors and the…
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A new virus has been found in wasps, and it has the potential to spread to honeybees, who, as many are aware, are one of the world’s key crop pollinators. The virus, which has been named Moku, was found in the western yellow jacket, a particular wasp species considered to be a pest in the…
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Down in New Zealand, the home of Manuka honey, Massey University agriculture students pursuing their Bachelors of Science were required to create interactive presentations covering a wide range of farm activities and operations. The presentations, a sort of culmination of what they had learned so far, gave the students a chance to reflect on what…
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