JULY 6, 2023 HONEYBEE FAITHFULNESS

MADISON, WI, June 29, 2023 — Honey bees are more faithful to their flower patches than bumble bees when it comes to returning to collect more pollen and nectar, according to a study by U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service scientists.
 
Overall, 76 percent of honey bees in the study revisited the same plot of alfalfa flowers in contrast to just 47 percent of eastern bumble bees.

But size does matter, especially to bumble bees. They were more faithful to larger flower patches, while the likelihood of honey bees returning to a flower patch was not affected by patch size. Large patches in the study were nearly 15 by 15 yards, each planted with 225 plants, more than twice as many as the small patches, which were about 10 by 10 yards with 100 alfalfa plants each.
 
To remain faithful to a specific location, an insect or animal requires reliable spatial memories enabling them to navigate complex landscapes and repeatedly return to the same site. Both honey and bumble bees have demonstrated this ability to return to previously visited foraging locations, so there must be other species-specific factors to explain the differences in patch fidelity observed between the two species, explained ecologist Johanne Brunet with the ARS Vegetable Crops Research Unit in Madison, Wisconsin, who led the study along with postdoctoral associate Fabiana Fragoso.
 
Differences in patch fidelity could be the result of bumble bees' more explorative foraging behavior — their willingness to invest individually in foraging, often visiting more than one type of flower per foraging bout — compared to honey bees' more highly developed communication system — the honey bees' well-known waggle dance. Honey bee foragers perform the dance when they return to the hive to share the location of valuable food sources with other foragers; bumble bees do not.

REPRINTED FORM THE AMERICNA BEE JOURNAL FOR EDUCATION POURPOSES ONLY

Until tomorrow…

JULY 5, 2023 INSECT BITE REMEDIES

Insect bites and stings are very common in the summer. Some may cause discomfort, unless you suffer from a severe allergic reaction. The best course of treatment is to soothe the pain and reduce swelling. Of course, you could get the stinger out. The stinging insect ( as the honeybee) inject the toxin through a stinger at the tail end of the abdomen. The reaction is usually local.

This weekend I got stung by 5 hornets. There was a hornet nest under a metal daisy in my back garden I got st8ung while I was weeding I immediately called Fox Pet Control to remove the hornet nest No spray could be used as my honeybee hives are 25 feet away. The stings were painful much more than my honeybee stings ( which I get regularly) while tending to my bees and stung for health reasons


Some quick remedies:

A. FOLK REMEDIES
1. Some old folk remedies are to use the juice of a cucumber, onion or radish to sooth the pain
2. Bathe in baking soda and water if stung all over the body
3. Compress with apple cider vinegar and /or lemon juice
4. I use fresh garlic on the wound

B. HERBAL REMEDIES
1. Marigold petal on a bee bite ( I should have thought of this this weekend- as marigold plants are in the front of the house)
2. Cover the bite with a macerated plantain leaf ( usually not always available in Fire Island, but can be found upstate)
3. Witch hazel is great , but not effective on bee stings, but better on mosquito bites

C. HOMEOPATHY
1,  Apis can be used once the stinger is removed. Vincent removed all of my stingers. He was amazed at the size of the stinger.
2. Hypericum can be used with great results

To make an insect bite oil:

1. 1 teaspoon of lavender essential oil
2. 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Store the bottle in a glass bottle with a tight lid. Glass bottles better than plastic.

To make a bite/sting poultice

1. 1 tablespoon of echinacea root tincture
2. 1 tablespoon of distilled water
3. 1/2 tsp of lavender essential oil
4. 1 tablespoon of beconite clay

combine the  mixture and then add to the clay. Stir slowly till all absorbed. The paste should be tacky enough to stick to the skin. Apply directly to the bite and store in a glass container in a cool place.

Until tomorrow…

JUNE 29, 2023 KEEP HEALTHY LUNGS

" Knowledge of what is possible is the beginning of happiness." George Santayana
Just knowing you can happy should be enough. Sometimes it is not, and we each search for happiness. Happiness might be in your own backyard, but then again it might not be. Knowledge is a very powerful tool. Do not waste the knowledge you can acquire in your lifetime. Learning is part of life.    


We all need to keep our lungs healthy There are many common respiratory ailments as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema ( also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease- COPD), pneumonia, cancer, sinusitis and  even allergies 

These are some helpful tips for healthy lungs:

1. Get regular exercise, especially aerobic
2. Do exercises to build your abdominal wall
3. Consider yoga, tai chi and belly dancing
4. Deep breathing every day . You can do meditation breathing 4-7-8
5. Avoid exercising in polluted air
6. Do not smoke
7. Avoid building or the work area with poor ventilation

8. Use all natural cleaners

9. Change heating/cooling filters monthly Check your house for mold
10. Test your home for radon
11. Keep pet clean and brushed to reduce shedding
12. Reduce the humidity of your home
13. Cough occasionally to clear your lungs
14. Do not overeat
15. Improve your diet; check your food allergies
16. Drink plenty of water
17. Keep the bowels moving
18. Do some bodywork
19. Remove old carpeting and replace with wood floors

20. ALWAYS KEEP A CLEAN HOME

JUNE 28, 2023 GINSENG

There are eleven different species of ginseng. It is a primary adaptogen Other ginseng like Siberian and Indian ginseng are similar to ginseng but have different properties. Ginseng contains the alkaloid ginsenosides which the other two do not have. These ginsenosides decrease inflammation and pain from chronic disease Chronic disease for example is neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, and cardiovascular heart disease.

I love ginseng for enhancing mental focus and helping concentration issues . It has been studied in patients who have Alzheimer’s disease. It helps the body cope with stress. It reduces anxiety and promnotes a sense of calmness.I use it for treating chronic fatigue

It is great for sexual wellness and sexual performance in both men and women This is one herb that most individuals should take

Until tomorrow…

JUNE 27, 2023 NIGELLA ( BLACK CUMIN )

This is one interesting herb with many antioxidant properties. I have used many times especially for patients with pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. Nigella ( Nigella sativa) seeds historically were found in ancient Egyptian tombs.

I have seen this herb lower cholesterol as well as alleviating inflammation of the body. It protects the liver. I have also seen it regulate bloodf sugar kevels in patients with diabetes,

The other name you might know is Black Cumin. Its blooms vary in color from white to pink

I feel it is a herb that we do not use nearly enough

Until tomorrow…

JUNE 26, 2023 DEPRESSION

I rely on two flower essences for comfort in the elderly. One is Cherry Plum and the other is Sweet Chestnut. The former is for "fear of the mind being over strained" while the other is for the "person who is anguished and stretched beyond endurance." In the field of homeopathy I prefer Ignatia for depression from a loss. I have seen many older individuals who have lost their spouse and more upsetting is the loss of a child. I know some homeopathic remedies and utilize them as often as I can.

The amount of herbs I use for depression and anxiety vary from individual to individual. I love the nervines in this regard. I use lemon balm (Melissa officiales) borage, limeflower, rosemary and vervain.

Ginseng is an herb I use for depression. It is useful for memory and confusion as well. I am careful not to use too much ginseng in the elderly as I have seen my reverse reactions.

Two remedies I learned from an elderly herbalist include using sage and cloves for lifting the mood. Both can be used as teas or can be added to food. As far as sage, I like the taste. When it comes to drinking clove tea, I usually add some chamomile, wild flower honey and even peppermint to help the taste. I am not fond of plain clove tea.

A gift for an elderly friend: A FRAGRANT POMANDER

1. Push cloves into an Orange or grapefruit

2. Attach a piece of ribbon and hang up for them when you visit.

3. It will freshen anyone's home and senses.

Until tomorrow…

JUNE 22, 2023 29 YEARS and PROPOLIS

 I always want to celebrate my sober anniversary. Yesterday I celebrated twenty nine years sober. As far as I am concerned it is the single most accomplishment  that I am most happy with. I am not saying that graduating different levels of education are not important. These accomplishments are also proud moments. For me my biological/birth and my sober birth are in the same month- JUNE. June for the longest time kept me frozen. It was the month that I performed CPR on my mother forty one years ago. It held me in guilt for a long time. June is also the month my parents were wed. Unfortunately they never celebrated their twenty five anniversary together, but  now in a better place without suffering . I truly miss both of them ! It was difficult for my father to understand why anyone would destroy themselves with an addiction. But it happens . I am not unique. Anyone who is not in a twelve step program does not understand the importance of another year of sobriety.
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As an addict in recovery, I can speak for many people that sobriety anniversaries are extremely important. They are major accomplishments! I cannot express the utter amazement I experience every passing year of continued sobriety. As my anniversary month was approaching I began to reflect on the past twenty nine years. I am proud of myself for the work I have done. It was NOT just stopping the addicted substance. It was working the twelve steps of a recovery program. It has been utilizing all the steps in my daily life.  

Sobriety birthdays are an event that is nothing like a regular birthday: it's not something we dread as we get older, but rather it's another year of freedom from addiction. Another 365 days of rebuilding our lives and going from complete self-loathing to find meaning and purpose. I have found meaning in my life and the life around me. I am peace. I have a purpose.

For me happiness could be the first spring rain. Happiness is spending time doing nothing with a loved one. Happiness is saving the bee population and using its hive products to heal individuals. Propolis is one of  those bee products that have been used for million of years. There have always been bees and there have always been beekeepers. Propolis is a sticky resin which seeps from the buds of certain trees. The bees gather propolis, and it is sometimes called " bee glue" The worker bees ( which are always females) take the resinous material and add salivary secretions and wax flakes to it and use the be propolis is two ways. First, they use the bee propolis to reinforce their wooden hives boxes, and second it is used to protect the hive from bacterial and viral infections. Every part of the hive which is made from bees are used. This includes the bee propolis, the bee wax, the bee pollen, the royal jelly, and course the honey.
Propolis consists of 55% resinous compounds and balsams, 30% beeswax, 10% aromatic oils and 5% bee pollen. Propolis is not as simple as it sounds on paper. It is a complex structure which contains potent terpenes and benzoic, caffeic, cinnamic and phenol acids. It is very high in flavinoids which as humans we find very helpful as an anti oxidant. Most plants which contains medicines contain flavinoids.

Save the bees !

JUNE 21, 2023 HERBAL BALLS

You never know what you are going to learn when you listen to a lecture by Rosemary Gladstar. For sure it will be innovative, educational, invigorating and different. What do you think of when you hear the word 'herbal'? I used to think of tinctures and teas. I never thought of herbs as food nor food as medicine until I read Adele Davis, Carlton Fredericks, Marion Nestle, Andrew Weil and many others. Medicinal herbs can be made into soups, sprinkled on salads, and even drank as a 'Green Shake'. When I was a child the fennel was brought to the table to settle the stomach in between meal courses at our usual 20 person Sunday meal. I love fennel.

I learned from Rosemary how to make HERBAL BALLS. At first it didn't sound appealing or inviting. She uses them for children as well as the elderly. In reality, the elderly person who is chronically ill can behave like a child. Rosemary has HERBAL BALLS galore!

HERBAL THROAT BALLS

The following are approximations, she suggests to adjust the flavor to your own personal taste or your child's taste.

1. 1/2 tsp. of goldenseal powder

2. 1/2 tsp of echinacea powder

3. 1/2 tsp. of myrrth powder

4. 1/2 tsp of chaparral powder and comfrey root powder - enough to thicken into paste

5. Carob powder for flavor (if you like the taste of carob)

6. Honey to flavor (I naturally would prefer raw, unfiltered honey from your region)

7. Peppermint oil to flavor (I still prefer honey)

8. Water

Mix the first 3 powders together. Add enough water to make a paste. Add the flavor of your choice - I prefer honey -do you get the point? Add the comfrey or slippery elm to thicken. For those who bake they will get this part - Knead the 'herbal mix' as if it were dough. Thicken to your liking by adding more comfrey and/or slippery elm.

Roll into marble size balls. These are your Herbal Throat Balls. Keep in the refrigerator. The taste will be a little peppermint and soothing your throat

Thank you Rosemary ....

Have fun making your balls---I did !