The Earthly Gardener by Bobbi A. Chukran
February 28, 2007
Something a little more serious this morning….In more than 24 states across the country, bees are disappearing at an alarming rate. According to Ann Johansson of the New York Times and other journalists across the country, this is not only threatening the livelihood of beekeepers, but is also a threat to many of our important crops, such as the almond industry in CA. Not to mention our entire food supply!
Researchers aren’t sure where the bees are going. Some hives have died off, some have simply vanished.
For sure, widespread pesticide spraying of agricultural crops can kill bees, as can small doses of spraying, such as a homeowner might do in their gardens or yards. That’s just another reason that organic gardening is friendly to the environment.
Our entire food supply relies on pollination by bees and other such insects. There are many alternatives to synthetic pesticides on the market today. Next time you’re at your local garden center, look for the natural or organic section…see what’s there, and follow the directions on the label.
dig it!
bobbi c.
Showing posts with label disappearing bees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label disappearing bees. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
More on the disappearing bees...
The Earthly Gardener by Bobbi A. Chukran
March 20, 2007
It seems that I was one of the first to report on the disappearing bees story, a few weeks ago. Since then, the story has blazed across the ‘net like wildfire, and many experts are getting worried that there might not be enough bees to pollinate all the food crops in the US. This is a serious matter!
I’m getting news items from all over the US. It seems that garden groups, and beekeeping groups, are urging home gardeners to keep a hive or two of bees. I’ll admit that the idea crosses my mind every once in while, but I really didn’t want more chores to do around here. As is, it’s a full time job taking care of the garden, house, cats and Husband . But now it might make sense for me to do so.
Sure, I have a swarm of honeybees that stay around my garden. They love the rosemary, especially, and were “on the job” with my blooming fruit trees. I’m not sure where they live, though…perhaps in a dead tree on the property. A friend suggested they might live in the walls of my house. Eeek. Of course, I’m really curious about where they are hiding the honey.
All I know is that the swarm has gotten larger over the last five years when they appeared here. I hope they stick around, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure they do. Which means being extra careful in the garden. We never spray anything in or near our property, but I also want to make sure they have a good supply of blooming plants for them to forage on. That, and a good water supply.
I’m not suggesting everyone rush out and start a beehive, although, if you can, that would be great! But you can do other things….do not spray pesticides in your gardens, make sure there’s at least a small water source (see my previous article about the low cost birdbath), and plant things that bees love. They really love the rosemary, that would be a good start!
Until tomorrow,
dig it!
bobbi c.
Copyright © 2007 by Bobbi A. Chukran all rights reserved to text and photos.
March 20, 2007
It seems that I was one of the first to report on the disappearing bees story, a few weeks ago. Since then, the story has blazed across the ‘net like wildfire, and many experts are getting worried that there might not be enough bees to pollinate all the food crops in the US. This is a serious matter!
I’m getting news items from all over the US. It seems that garden groups, and beekeeping groups, are urging home gardeners to keep a hive or two of bees. I’ll admit that the idea crosses my mind every once in while, but I really didn’t want more chores to do around here. As is, it’s a full time job taking care of the garden, house, cats and Husband . But now it might make sense for me to do so.
Sure, I have a swarm of honeybees that stay around my garden. They love the rosemary, especially, and were “on the job” with my blooming fruit trees. I’m not sure where they live, though…perhaps in a dead tree on the property. A friend suggested they might live in the walls of my house. Eeek. Of course, I’m really curious about where they are hiding the honey.
All I know is that the swarm has gotten larger over the last five years when they appeared here. I hope they stick around, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure they do. Which means being extra careful in the garden. We never spray anything in or near our property, but I also want to make sure they have a good supply of blooming plants for them to forage on. That, and a good water supply.
I’m not suggesting everyone rush out and start a beehive, although, if you can, that would be great! But you can do other things….do not spray pesticides in your gardens, make sure there’s at least a small water source (see my previous article about the low cost birdbath), and plant things that bees love. They really love the rosemary, that would be a good start!
Until tomorrow,
dig it!
bobbi c.
Copyright © 2007 by Bobbi A. Chukran all rights reserved to text and photos.
Let us eat lettuce!
April 18, 2007 by Bobbi A. Chukran
Mornin’ earthly gardeners,
Just got this link to a great article from Renee Shepherd, owner of Renee’s Garden Seeds. It’s all about lettuce…how to plant, different varieties, etc. Lettuce can be planted in pots, too.
More on the disappearing bees…..Scientists in Germany have a theory that the bee problem is being caused by mobile phones! They think that the radiation from handsets is disrupting the bee’s navigation systems. I am NOT making this up! Here’s a LINK to a story in the Independent, a UK based online news source.
It seems that Colony Collapse Disorder isn’t just a problem in the US anymore!
Scary stuff…
bobbi c.
Copyright ©2007 bobbi a. chukran.
Mornin’ earthly gardeners,
Just got this link to a great article from Renee Shepherd, owner of Renee’s Garden Seeds. It’s all about lettuce…how to plant, different varieties, etc. Lettuce can be planted in pots, too.
More on the disappearing bees…..Scientists in Germany have a theory that the bee problem is being caused by mobile phones! They think that the radiation from handsets is disrupting the bee’s navigation systems. I am NOT making this up! Here’s a LINK to a story in the Independent, a UK based online news source.
It seems that Colony Collapse Disorder isn’t just a problem in the US anymore!
Scary stuff…
bobbi c.
Copyright ©2007 bobbi a. chukran.
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