Monsanto Invests in Pollinator Research, Ignores Effects of Pesticides Washington, DC--(ENEWSPF)--October 28, 2011. St. Louis-based chemical and seed giant Monsanto Co. has purchased a company called Beeologics, which has developed a product intended to counteract viral agents that plague honey bee colonies in an attempt to stem the effects of Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). However, advocates wonder whether the antiviral agent will result in any significant decline of CCD when bees around the country and across the world continue to be exposed to highly toxic pesticides that are known to have serious effects on a range of pollinators, including honey bees. Beeologics was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in both Florida and Israel. Efforts to counteract CCD are commendable, as a range of factors, including viruses as well as colony invaders such as the Varroa mite, are thought to contribute to CCD. Some European and U.S. scientists postulate that losses of biodiversity and food resources, due to climate change, have intensified the problem.
TDG ~ Telling the Bees When David’s sister sent me this story yesterday, I immediately felt called to share it here. I was running out the door to give a presentation, though, so I made a mental note to post for later. While waiting on the porch for my ride, two notifications came through from a blog called “The Bees Knees,” linking to two pages on my own blog. Not only did “The Bees Knees” seem like a message, but the post itself was unusual even for that blogger: “I normally read Tyberonn’s posts on Spirit Library, but this is a link to Laura Bruno’s Blog (27 October article) that has this wonderful affirmation.” OK, bees, you’ve got my attention, and I am now keeping my word by sharing the article and link back to the original. Telling the Bees posted by Shadows Bees figure largely in folklore although these days people are mostly uninterested in the old stories of how bees are an important part of our society. But what happened next convinced me like nothing else ever could.
Grow Your Own Bee Garden: 7 Tips for a Bee-Friendly Habitat Planting a bee garden is becoming increasingly important as across our planet, bees are thought to be suffering increased stress as a result of global warming, and the effect that this has on flowering times and nectar availability. It will take many generations of bees to evolve into stronger colonies able to deal with the change in climate. We depend on the work of bees and other insects more than most of us realise; almost 70% of the food we consume relies on pollination from insects, and bees are a critical part of this army of fertilizers. Meanwhile there is plenty we can do to help. Whether we live in an urban area or deep in the countryside, we can actively encourage bees to thrive in the vicinity of our homes by creating a bee garden, however small that might be! 7 eazzzy tips for your bee gardenCreate a bee garden and plant bee -friendly flowers and shrubs. What plants do you plan to include in your bee garden? Suggested reading from the garden section of Natural Mothers Store
Colony Collapse Disorder Is a Fraud: Pesticides Cause Bee Die-Offs Heidi Stevenson, Green Med InfoWaking Times Years ago, Gaia Health informed that bee dieoffs are a direct result of pesticide nerve agents called neonicotinoids. The term, Colony Collapse Disorder, is fraudulent, designed to direct attention from the known cause. The massive bee die-off is not a great mystery. Although the bee die-offs that have occurred recently are more severe, there have been many in the past from the same and similar products. Clothianidin and imidacloprid are both members of a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids. We have been pointing out the risks of neonicotinoids for almost 10 years now. Not a Surprise That neonicotinoids are potent neurotoxins, especially in insects, is unsurprising. There are many problems with this. Even then, it’s impossible to believe that a fair amount of these pesticides won’t become airborne. Pharmaceutical Connection Here’s a list of corporations — not expected to be complete — that profit in both pharmaceuticals and pesticides:
Bee propolis contains all the vitamins and… Ten Commandments of Butterfly Gardening Bee Pollen helps avoid allergies, increase… Are Mushrooms the Solution to the Worldwide Bee Colony Collapse? Jefferey Jaxen, ContributorWaking Times As humanity becomes more conscious to the language of nature, it is clear that mushrooms in their many forms come in peace and are here to help. The uses, benefits, and applications of mushrooms currently seem to be limitless cutting across all industries, cultures, and modalities. Embraced by the medical community, gardeners, architects, spiritualist, religions and others, their boundaries are yet to be found. The intricate matrix of mushroom mycelium under our feet represents rebirth, rejuvenation, and regeneration. It waits patiently to reveal secrets for those with the courage to sidestep mainstream assumptions in search of something better. Presenting at the recent Bioneers Annual Conference, Paul Stamets gave bombshell evidence that there is hope for bees, colony collapse, and our entire ecosystem. It has also been confirmed in previous tests that fungicidal contamination reduces beneficial fungi in honey bee colonies. Additional Sources:
Design Probes - Urban beehive The design of the beehive is unconventional, appealing, and respects the natural behavior of the bees. It consists of two parts: entry passage and flower pot outside, and glass vessel containing an array of honeycomb frames, inside. The glass shell filters light to let through the orange wavelength which bees use for sight. The frames are provided with a honeycomb texture for bees to build their wax cells on. This is a sustainable, environmentally friendly product concept that has direct educational effects.
Sacred Lessons from the Bees, Honey Flows, and Honey Harvesting | The Druid's Garden I’ve been making the transition to Pennsylvania and to my new life here (I spoke of this transition in an earlier blog post). Sorry for the delay in a regular weekly post–I’m back on track now, and have many wonderful things to share with you in the coming weeks. Today I’m going to talk about bees and share photos of my first honey harvest. Bees moving to their new home in early May! I’ve now been a beekeeper for over a year, and I have begun to deeply resonate with the honeybee. One of the decisions I made, in my transition from my 3 acre homestead to small-town renting (renting until I find my new land) was to keep my two beehives. Beekeeping Ethically I’ve become very vigilant about the protection of bees. Beekeeping class I gave recently! Beekeepers are faced with a lot of choices and the “standard” approach advocated in many books is not the best–its very similar to the choices one faces with other kinds of farming or animal husbandry. Protecting Bees more Broadly Bees as Alchemists
37 Million Bees Found Dead In Ontario It was just a few weeks ago that 50,000 bees were found dead in an Oregon parking lot, and now the ongoing problem has hit north of the border in Ontario, Canada where more than 37 million bees have been found dead. In the past, many scientists have struggled to find the exact cause of the massive die-offs, a phenomenon they refer to as "colony collapse disorder" (CCD). In the United States, for seven consecutive years, honeybees are in terminal decline.The problem has brought beekeepers to crisis in an industry responsible for producing apples, broccoli, watermelon, onions, cherries and a hundred other fruits and vegetables. According to the annual survey by the Apiary Inspectors of America and the US government's Agricultural Research Service (ARS), The number of managed honeybee colonies has fallen by over 30%.US scientists have found 121 different pesticides in samples of bees, wax and pollen, lending credence to the notion that pesticides are a key problem. Source: Prevent Disease
How to Start a Vegetable Garden - Vegetable Garden Plans Even if you've never tried growing food, there are good reasons to sacrifice some of that green carpet for a starter bed. First, chances are you don't use your lawn as much as you think—how long has it been since you played Frisbee out there? Second, most turfgrass has a thirst that can only be satiated by overhead sprinklers, which lose a lot of water to evaporation and runoff; veggies, by contrast, can be watered by efficient drip irrigation. Then there's dealing with the weeds, the grubs, and the chemicals needed to keep that grass glossy. If you're going to put that much effort into your yard, why not get a little payback? Finding the right spot is simple. The most effective way to dig up a patch of lawn is to rototill it, which will remove the turfgrass and allow you to mix in soil amendments at the same time. It's essential that you clear your bed of as many weeds as possible, especially perennial monsters such as Bermuda grass, dandelions, and bindweed. Three Edible Layouts
Russia Warns Obama: Global War Over “Bee Apocalypse” Coming Very Soon The shocking minutes relating to President Putin’s meeting this past week with US Secretary of State John Kerry reveal the Russian leaders “extreme outrage” over the Obama regimes continued protection of global seed and plant bio-genetic giants Syngenta and Monsanto in the face of a growing “bee apocalypse” that the Kremlin warns “will most certainly” lead to world war. According to these minutes, released in the Kremlin today by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation (MNRE), Putin was so incensed over the Obama regimes refusal to discuss this grave matter that he refused for three hours to even meet with Kerry, who had traveled to Moscow on a scheduled diplomatic mission, but then relented so as to not cause an even greater rift between these two nations. “It is clear that these chemicals have the potential to affect entire food chains. ABC commissioned world renowned environmental toxicologist Dr. Pierre Mineau to conduct the research. Eddie
gardening Planting Plant 2 seeds per small starting pot, or scatter seeds across the top of the mix in a seed tray. Lightly tamp them in place and cover them with more mix to the recommended depth given on the seed packet. Moisten the soil on top but don’t overwater it. Label the container or tray with the plant name and planting date. You can find plant labels at nurseries and home stores, but popsicle sticks also work well. At this point you may want to cover the seeds with plastic wrap or a plastic cover to help keep the soil damp and warm, which will speed germination. Keep the soil temperature above 75 degrees Fahrenheit (24 degrees Celsius) for heat-loving warm-season plants by setting them on a heating mat or on top of a water heater or refrigerator. Watering from a tray placed under the seedling containers is good way to keep the soil moist but not overly wet. Caring for Seedlings Transferring to Larger Pots Tempting as this is, especially if the seedlings look crowded, be patient.