We’ve got one hive with a queen that’s not nearly as strong as we’d like–spotty brood pattern, no VHS traits, progeny susceptible to deformed wing virus, etc… Sticking with our chemical free, strong genetics, beekeeping plan we’ve started rearing queens from our strongest hive to replace her, and get a few nuc’s going to over-winter… Read more »
Monthly Archives: July 2016
Spivak, Reuter article: testing for hygienic behavior in honey bee colonies
What’s the bottom line? Encourage good honey bee genetics in your apiary by raising queens from your strongest hives. It seems obvious, but on the flip side, helping weak colonies ‘limp along’ with mite treatments and antibiotics is actually encouraging weak genetics among the bees, and strong genetics among the mites! How do you test… Read more »
More bees, Less Disease–splits might be the way to go
A concise and informative article from Bee Culture magazine on using splits to help manage varroa: http://www.beeculture.com/splits-varroa-more-colonies-fewer-mites-new-queens-what-could-be-better/
Coordinated effort to fix the broken US food system.
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has put together an impressive array of somewhat startling facts, and a road map to get us back on track to a sustainable healthy food system. Check it out here: http://www.ucsusa.org/food-agriculture/fixing-our-broken-food-system-plate-of-the-union-initiative
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Psycho Chicken Eco Farm
- Guest on Kara Kroeger’s Land Food Life Podcast February 19, 2024
- Presenting at the 2023 CFSA Sustainability Conference November 12, 2023
- Staying Current August 15, 2022
- Encourage the NC Cooperative Extension April 22, 2022
- Why All the Pushback on Regenerative Agriculture? December 30, 2021
- Compost December 15, 2021
- Agroecology. Full Stop! October 8, 2021
- Multiple Pesticides, Synergistic Impact August 7, 2021
- Pesticide impact study on soil biology–no surprises… May 7, 2021
- Out of 20,000 species of bees, is Apis Melifera the one to ‘save’? April 21, 2021