Blue Sky Bee Supply Blog
Microscopic Nanocrystals, the Size of Pollen Grains, Used to Track the Path of Pollen from Flower to Flower
A pollination biologist from Stellenbosch University is using quantum dots to track the fate of individual pollen grains. This is breaking new ground in a field of research that has been hampered by the lack of a universal method to track pollen for over a century.In an article published in the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution recently, Dr Corneile Minnaar describes this novel method, which will enable pollination biologists to track the whole pollination process from the first visit by
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5th Mar 2019
Tariffs Estimated To Cost $2.64 Billion a Year to US Fruit and Vegetable Exporters, and in all Probability, a Hit on Beekeepers that Pollinate.
University of California economists estimate U.S. exporters of 10
fruits and nuts to China and other markets could see a loss of $2.64
billion a year due to new tariffs — and up to $3.34 billion a year when
the potential effect on other markets is considered.Daniel Sumner and Tristan Hanon, of the Agricultural Issues Center
and Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC-Davis,
recently released the study in the wake of increasing tariffs levied by
the U.S. and China on v
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22nd Aug 2018
There’s A Lot More Bad to Fungicide Exposure to Honey Bees Than You Thought. A Lot.
Specialty crop growers use fungicides to protect against many serious
plant pathogens, but they also must take into consideration the
potential harm fungicides present to honey bees needed for pollination.
To manage fungal diseases, fungicides are applied to the crops at
strategic times throughout the growing season, including during bloom.
When bees are foraging on blooming crops, they can become exposed to
fungicides and other crop protectants. In some instances, fungicide labe
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24th Jul 2018
MORE ACRES, MORE ALMONDS, MORE BUSINESS FOR BEEKEEPERS. RECORD-BREAKING ALMOND CROP PREDICTED FOR 2018.
In spite of concerns about freezing weather during almond bloom, the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is predicting a record crop in 2018.MODESTO, Calif. – According to the NASS 2018 Almond Subjective Forecast issued today, California almond orchards are expected to produce 2.30 billion pounds of nuts this year, up 1.3% from last year’s 2.27 billion-pound crop.[1]“Almond farmers used a variety of techniques to manage freezing nighttime temperatures i
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31st May 2018
FARMERS, SCIENTISTS AND BEEKEEPERS ARE WORKING TO RAISE BLUE ORCHARD MASON BEES TO POLLINATE VALUABLE ORCHARD CROPS.
Blue Orchard Bee (Osmia)Image Credits:USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab via Flickr (Homepage Image Credit: Suzi Rosenberg via Flickr)Colony collapse disorder has devastated honeybee populations over the past decade and brought a major push from beekeepers and scientists to commercialize a native pollinator for orchards in California and beyond. The most promising pollinator for the job is the blue orchard mason bee (Osmia lignaria). The challenge: figuring out how to produce enough of the fi
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29th May 2018