Whether it’s bats, butterflies, birds, or honeybees, pollinators are largely in decline. Honeybees have been studied especially in this regard because the number of factors contributing to collapsed colonies cannot be nailed down by researchers or beekeepers. In the Journal of Economy Entomology, one paper recently focused on just one of these known factors: the…
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With awareness growing for colony collapse disorder (CCD) and declining honeybee populations, the safe assumption would be that great efforts have been made in saving bees and preventing the loss of one of our most important pollinators. However, according to the word of some in the field, the exponential growth in the number of beekeepers…
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With the fear that has come with the Zika virus into the US, many towns are coming up with ways to combat mosquito populations and keep them controlled, since Zika travels in mosquitoes as vectors. Granted, if a specific area hasn’t had much rain, mosquito populations tend to decrease, since they need about ten days’…
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Many are well aware of the important role honeybees play in our lives and in global food production and food security, which is why their decline in the US and on a global scale has alarmed world leaders and ordinary people. It’s set many on the path of increasing bee numbers and cutting down the…
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Apricot, Manuka Honey Glazed Chicken If you need a go-to, relatively easy to make meal for multiple people right around dinner time, this Apricot Manuka Honey Glazed Chicken will certainly do the trick with its wonderful flavor and heavy dose of protein and other essential nutrients. Combining the sweetness warranted by fruits and their natural…
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In the last few years, the popularity of Manuka honey has gone up, and the value of beehives has gone right up with it. Because of that, reported thefts of beehives and their honeybees have gone up as well. In New Zealand, where Manuka flourishes along with beekeepers’ businesses, these thefts are especially prevalent, with…
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Given how much devastation is caused by varroa mites and nosema parasites on honeybee colonies, beekeepers are always looking for new solutions to try and build their bees’ resistance to diseases and other effects garnered by the small but deadly pests. In recent days, a new product has been slowly gathering notice in terms of…
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It’s been well reported that honeybee populations are declining not only in the United States but also around the globe, with the suspected reasons including pathogens, malnutrition, loss of habitat, and, of course, pesticides (or more specifically neonicotinoid pesticides). While it’s been heavily suspected that pesticides are a contributing factor to colony collapse disorder (CCD)…
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Most have heard that within nature, animals can form symbiotic relationships with other animals, plant life, and so forth, with some being commensal, mutualistic, or parasitic. In northern Mozambique, a southern African country across the channel from Madagascar, the village of Mbamba and its surrounding plains is the home to a mutualistic relationship many believed…
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Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread with Manuka Honey For anyone looking for a step up in cornbread, this Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread recipe is perfect for you, especially when made all the better with Manuka honey! Already many people’s favorite type of cornbread—made perfect with just the right blend of spicy and cheesy—this recipe invites you to satisfy…
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It’s unfortunately become common to hear about theft of beehives not only in the states, but especially in New Zealand, where Manuka honey is produced thanks to the ever-present Manuka bush. Being a successful industry, Manuka honey has encouraged many to take the easy route by stealing beehives in the middle of the night. During…
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In recent months, there have been legislative efforts in various US states to place restrictions on pesticides (specifically neonicotinoids) that are believed by some experts to be harmful to honeybees and other pollinators. Maryland in particular has led the charge by its General Assembly passing the first statewide consumer restriction on neonicotinoids earlier this year,…
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When it comes to pollination, plants typically lure pollinators like bees using sweet, sugary nectar and high protein pollen that the plants need to spread to other plants of the same breed. This source of pollination prevents us from having to pollinate plants ourselves by manually performing asexual reproduction. Usually, a plant’s male anther, where pollen…
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When it comes to those who harbor misgivings about honeybees, they often hold grudges due to times when they were stung by aggressive, little flying black-and-yellow insects, who are more often than not lumped under the catchall category of “bees.” However, what many don’t understand is these “bees” may not be bees at all—more specifically,…
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It’s not uncommon to have one phobia that you either find yourself stuck with for the rest of your life or find yourself getting over after much practice and a lot of patience. It could be spiders, heights, snakes, or even the color yellow, but for Blaine, MN city official Dan Hauck, it has always…
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