Not Marcellus Explosions this Time
There have been reports of exploding
watermelons in China because of a chemical fertilizer and or wet conditions. I seen some watermelons at the grocery store the other day but didn't buy them because there was no country of origin listed.
Gas wells can
explode but I never heard of exploding veggies!
Watermelons are a favorite and I have my own planted in flats and if it ever stops raining they'll be in the ground by Memorial Day. Need another reason why a home vegetable garden is important?
One of the most popular spring treats are
strawberries . However, it is best to grow your own considering some of the harmful chemicals used in growing them on commercial farms. Need another reason why a home vegetable garden is important?
And to think politicians and insurance folks argue over health insurance and allow this chemical poisoning to go on unfettered.
Watermelons and strawberries are two crops which rely on the bees. It's up to gardeners to take some steps to help the bees which have been having some problems lately. Bee populations are in a serious decline.
Honeybees and other Pollinators
Honeybees, first introduced by the early colonists in America in the early 1600's are vital to agriculture. Nearly 80 percent of the foods we eat are on the table because of the work of the honeybee. The bees are also largely responsible for pollinating wild food crops for our native wildlife.
In Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania State beekeepers Association, the bees are responsible for an estimated $60,000,000 in agricultural goods every year. The figures are much the same and even higher in some other states.
Hopefully, it is common knowledge by now that the honeybees are in serious decline. Researchers point to a number of reasons: the bees are malnourished because of the lack of food sources, pesticide use, invasive mites, and what is called Colony Collapse Disorder or CCD for short; a mysterious and fatal disease.
The number of beekeepers has dwindled dramatically in the last several decades because of the difficulties in keeping the bees alive. In addition, new Queen Bee replacements are expensive. In Pennsylvania in 1980 there were 80,000 registered hives, this year the number is 30,000 or less.
I spoke with Ben and Rose Johns, who have a small farm with blueberries, apples and a vegetable garden. They are an elderly couple who supplement their social security with what they can sell from home and at farmers Markets. They had 10 hives but lost them all this past winter. They can't afford to replace them this year, maybe next year.
Charles Vorisek of the Linesville, PA area had 100 hives. This past winter he lost upwards of 70 percent. Vorisek is vice president of the PA State Beekeepers Association; the bees are his source of income and he had to purchase a lot of new Queen Bees. He takes his hives to the orchards near Lake Erie so the bees can pollinate the cherry trees, apples, and peaches; during the summer months the bees travel further south to help pollinate squash and pumpkin patches.
John Glaspell, a neighbor and a beekeeper had to replace all of his hives this spring.
It is a similar story wherever you seem to look. And it's not getting any better.
What You Can Do
Support your local beekeepers,
Buy their honey, it is one big step forward. Buy local
honey .
Try to avoid using chemical pesticides. If they have to be used, follow the directions closely and avoid spraying anything in bloom.
Patches of clover can be used in under-used lawn areas. This will actually help save time and money on mowing.
Plant
herbs in the vegetable garden in a designated space. Many herbs are nutritious for the bees.
Some BEE Facts
According to many estimates, the bees must visit 2 million or more flowers to produce a 16 oz jar of honey. In Pennsylvania, the average amount of honey per hive is 37 pounds (leaving about 60 some pounds for the bees in the hive to get them through winter). The number of flowers those bees in one hive have to visit is somewhat staggering.
Early blooming flowers, such as the
dandelion and marsh marigold, in the spring are an important source of food for the bees. So are the late fall blooming flowers such as the
golden rods and asters.
Honeybees are the only insect that produces food for humans.
And here is an interesting fact:
Honeybees never sleep !
Check This Out
Good Blogs
Good Bee Sources
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