Most honeybees one might encounter in the US are so gentle you could actually pet them if desired. However, in certain states, this isn’t something to try due to the fact that Africanized honeybees, hybrids of African and European bees, can be found all throughout the southwest and other parts of the South—California, Texas, Nevada,…
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Because Manuka honey has become such a successful market, it’s expected that every now and again issues relating to success, such as copycat honeys, fraud, and beehive theft, would appear and beg the question of how to best go about protecting the integrity of the Manuka name. One of those current issues involves a fight…
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As pollinators, honeybees already provide essential services, and it is why people around the world have come to their aid to ensure they live, survive, and thrive as a species. However, it always helps to be reminded that bees do more than just offer an easier time pollinating plants—they also offer a source of income…
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Since the increase in the losses of honeybee colonies was noticed by experts in the field about ten years ago, extensive surveys have been taken to evaluate winter losses in North America and much of the European continent. Comparatively, the level of record for China, which is said to be the largest beekeeping and honey…
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Manuka Honey Chili As many can likely attest to, there are fewer better things than a good, hot bowl of chili. If you’re a fan of chili but are also looking for a vegetarian version and a place to use your stash of Manuka honey, then you might start with this aptly named Manuka Honey Chili!…
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By January 2017, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will begin requiring beekeepers who need antibiotics to treat their hives—which can be up to thousands—to have them treated by a veterinarian, rather than beekeepers simply buying antibiotics over the counter. “Beekeepers are going to need a veterinarian now,” said Don Hoenig, a former Maine veterinarian.…
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Murray Bush, a Marlborough, New Zealand beekeeper, says beekeepers are like all other farmers—cattle, pigs, sheep, etc.—though beekeepers don’t require fencing in order to keep stock in, offering a unique enterprise with an equally unique “farm” animal. “At the end of the day, like any farmer, we need healthy stock to control pests and diseases…And…
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Many stories have been published regarding the effects of neonicotinoid pesticides and how they negatively impact honeybees and other pollinators. So far have studies and stories gone that some companies and state governments are phasing out these pesticides and regulating how much they can be used, respectively. However, a recent study offers the counter claim…
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As has been reported often, beekeepers tend to be victims of beehive theft, some losing dozens or even hundreds of hives every year. While it is certainly a problem in the US, down in New Zealand there has been a long line of beehive thefts, with many believing heavily that the cause has everything to do…
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There are many types of honeybees in the world including seven species and 44 total subspecies, which in itself barely covers the apparent 20,000 species of all bees existing today. While European honeybees are the most common honeybees for their ability to produce large honey quantities, they are, like most bees today, at the mercy…
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Date, Coconut, and Peanut Granola Bars For one of the better homemade granola bar recipes out there—with no added sugar whatsoever—these Date, Coconut, and Peanut Granola Bars are naturally sweetened, easy to make, and the best snack choice for kids and adults alike! Using dates and Manuka honey for sweeteners and cinnamon, ginger and coconut…
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There have been many efforts on the part of researchers to find ways of helping honeybees fight off diseases, pathogens, and parasites like the elusive varroa mite. Some of those efforts include designing pesticides that combat the effects of these factors without harming the bees themselves—something especially crucial these days considering the deadly effects neonicotinoid pesticides…
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Due to population increases in many African countries, farmers are expanding their operations and resources to make up for the demand of new bodies. With that, however, comes farmers settling in the natural migration passages of African elephants, who have a tendency to respond to these fields of beans, peas, maize, and cassava in their way…
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When a honeybee hive becomes overcrowded, several eggs within the queen bee’s thousands are provided “royal jelly” to form queen eggs, with the first one to hatch acting as the new queen to a new hive. Once she is bred, half of the original hive flies with the new queen to a new location. At…
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To be contenders for the Olympics, athletes must be driven and dedicated, spending almost the entirety of four years training for several weeks of competition against the rest of the world’s best. Everything they do is designed to improve performance including their diets, which are customized for their sport’s specific requirements. Admittedly, most of us…
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