The 26th Annual Beekeeping Symposium will be held on Feb. 6 and 7 through Zoom. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is proud to host the symposium to provide timely information for Alabama’s beekeeping public. Because of the ongoing pandemic, this year’s event was forced to restructure, and therefore for the first time, it will be a digital event. The cost to …
Ways to Attract Songbirds to Your Garden
Some ways to attract songbirds to your garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Part of the beauty of any landscape is the fascinating wildlife that lives in it. Wrens, cardinals, swallows, and more will fill your garden with their beautiful songs if you attract them with a few of their favorite native plants, and some water to …
Fruit-Bearing Plants and Trees to Attract Birds to Your Yard
Some of the best plants to attract birds to your yard. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. By planting fruit-bearing trees and shrubs in your landscape, they will attract berry-eating birds such as bluebirds and robins while also creating a beautiful display with their flowers, fall & holiday colors, and fruits. American cranberry bush viburnum has white springtime flowers, …
Farmer Certification Program Creates Healthier Landscapes for Bees
(USDA) — Bees are a lifeline for farms producing the world’s fruits, vegetables, nuts and other nutrient-rich foods. Bees pollinate billions of dollars’ worth of crops and play an essential role in our food supply. Pollinators are responsible for one in every three bites of food we eat and contribute more than $15 billion to our nation’s crop values each …
AFBF Welcomes Continued Monitoring of Monarch Butterfly
(AFBF) — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it will leave the monarch butterfly off the endangered species list. The Service issued a “warranted but precluded” decision, which means the monarch will be considered a candidate species for now. The Service will continue to study the species and review its candidacy for listing on an annual basis. “America’s farmers …
Planting the Best Nectar Plants for Pollinators
The best nectar plants for pollinators. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Create a pollinator-friendly garden by choosing at least three must-have plants and aiming for blooms throughout as many seasons as possible. Single-petal flowers are easiest for bees, hummingbirds, and other pollinators to reach; double-petal varieties are showier but offer less nectar and accessible pollen. Torch Lily …
Farmers, Ranchers, Forest Landowners Protect Pollinator Habitat
By Florida’s USDA NRCS State Conservationist Juan Hernandez and USDA FSA State Executive Director Sherry McCorkle The next time you snack on almonds, add blueberries to your smoothie or eat pumpkin pie, thank a pollinator and the farmers, ranchers and private forest landowners who work hard to create and maintain their habitat. Pollinators, such as honeybees, bumblebees, butterflies, birds, bats, …
USDA Announces Updates for Honeybee Producers
(USDA/FSA) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced updates to the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP). These updates include changes required by the 2018 Farm Bill as well as discretionary changes intended to improve the administration of the program and clarify existing program requirements. “Honeybee producers should pay close attention …
Deformed Wing Virus Genetic Diversity in U.S. Honey Bees Complicates Search For Remedies
(USDA/ARS) — Deformed Wing Virus (DWV), one of the leading causes of honey bee colony losses, is much more genetically diverse in the United States than previously thought, according to a study published by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in PLoS Biology. The diverse lineages of this virus are all equally bad for bees, and they make it more complicated to …
New Tool Improves Beekeepers’ Overwintering Odds and Bottom Line
TUCSON, ARIZONA (ARS – September 18, 2019) — A new tool from the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) can predict the odds that honey bee colonies overwintered in cold storage will be large enough to rent for almond pollination in February. Identifying which colonies will not be worth spending dollars to overwinter can improve beekeepers’ bottom line. Beekeepers have been losing …