Beekeeper Ruth Harrigan of HoneyGramz.com presents the Joys of Beekeeping and importance of our apian friends in the global environment. Sponsored by The Queens Public Library. Did you ever wonder how honey is made? Did you ever wonder what different jobs honeybeees have in the hive? Do you know which bees have a barbed stinger and which have no barb so they can … [Read more...]
National Honey Month
September is National Honey Month. It’s an annual tribute to beekeeping in the United States established in 1989 by the National Honey Board of the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). During this month most beekeepers will be harvesting, extracting, and bottling their honey. As nectar flows wane, the honeybees will soon retire from honey production until next spring and … [Read more...]
24 Pollinator-Friendly Plants For Your Garden
Birds, bees, and butterflies are some of the most common pollinators in our garden. Moths, dragonflies, and bats are also frequent visitors. A garden can be large or small, even a single potted plant can be discovered by pollinators. The easiest way to create an oasis for our pollinator friends is to plant flowers they love. Pollinators are essential for approximately 70% … [Read more...]
The Buzz About Bee Pollen
What is Pollen? You may have heard about bee pollen (actually it is flower pollen, the bees just distribute and collect it) helping with seasonal allergies or having been referred to as a "superfood". As beekeepers we ourselves and many of our customers swear by this powdery colorful substance when it comes to overall health and wellness. Pollen is the male gametophyte of a seed … [Read more...]
Study Shows Honey Superior To Over-the-Counter Cough Medicine For Kids
A partially double-blind randomly controlled study at Penn State Medical School found honey to be better at reducing childhood cough than over-the-counter cough medicines. According to WebMD, "A review of studies found no proof that common over-the-counter drugs help with your cough. This includes suppressants like dextromethorphan, which block your cough reflex, and expectorants … [Read more...]