CasaSugar

Cell Phone Signals Are Killing Honeybees

Angelica Marden — Fri, 13 May 2011 10:10:24 PDT

Here's some not-so-sweet news: According to a new study, the signals from cell phones disorient honeybees and can actually lead to their death.

The study found that when mobile handsets were placed by honeybees they had a "dramatic impact on the behavior of the bees, namely by inducing the worker piping signal." In the natural environment, "worker piping" announces the swarming process of the bee colony or is a signal of a disturbed bee colony. As you can imagine, both get the bees buzzing.

This is a point of concern given our food crops are pollinated by honeybees, and the UN already reports that the bee population is dropping all over the world. Just another reason to unplug and turn off your phone when you can.

Roundup: Sweeten Up With Honeycomb Motifs

CasaSugar — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:00:00 PDT

I love the buzz-worthy motif on the Honeycomb Doormat ($32) from Burke Decor. It's a fun, graphic pattern that I adore everywhere from bolsters to rugs. As a bold print on sheets and pillows, the hexagonal design can mix things up in rooms filled with stripes or florals. The structural replication of the bee hangout can also be integrated more discreetly, as in the unusual Softseating furniture. Whether you want to dress your walls in the hexagonal pattern or just incorporate subtle trinkets adorned with the motif, ogle some of my sticky sweet faves below.

Springtime in the Beeyards

OnSugar Blog — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 04:00:17 PDT

Ever wondered what it's like when the time has come for a beekeeper to open his beehives? OnSugar blog Campbell's Honey details this year's honey harvest.

Holidays in the sun are over, it's time to open the beehives, and get started on a new honey season. This spring, instead of walking through muddy farmer's fields, and wading in the mud, we're driving down grassy lanes, through dry barnyards, to unpack the hives, and liberate the honeybees. Last fall we packed each colony in a heavy commercial plastic bag that was pulled down over the hive, and a breathing hole punched in the top, just under the top cover, to vent the moisture from the colony.

Find out how honeybees are faring this season when you read more.

Yummy Links: From Gail Simmons to Michael Pollan

partysugar — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:15:16 PST

Gail Simmons's guide to packing. - Travel + Leisure
An inside look at New York City's illegal beekeepers. - Chow
Does it really matter if you forget an ingredient? - The Epi-Log
Catch up with some of Top Chef 6's cheftestants. - Grub Street NY
10 new things to put in your drink. - Endless Simmer
Taste test: vegan burgers. - Serious Eats
Michael Pollan and Oprah discuss seal blubber and cow's blood. - Eater

Would You Add a Beehive to Your Home?

CasaSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:30:26 PDT

I grew up with beehives in the backyard, since my dad's a beekeeper. I rarely was stung (perhaps twice in my entire childhood), and always had delicious honeycomb and honey to snack on. While I don't have a beehive in my home now, I've been considering adding one for some time.

If you're already an awesome apiarist, check out these tips from Sunset for winterizing your beehives.

How-To: Save the Honeybees

CasaSugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:00:24 PDT

Over the last couple of years, honeybees have been disappearing at an alarming rate. Seeing as the buzzing creatures are responsible for pollinating many of our nation's crops, including a wide range of fruits and vegetables, their disappearance is a crisis. According to Zac Browning, VP of the American Beekeeping Federation, “Every third bite we consume in our diet is dependent on a honeybee to pollinate that food." It's not all out of our hands, though. There are actually a few things you - yes, you - can do about it. It all has to do with growing bee-friendly flowers in your garden, windowsill, or your community park. To learn a few of these tips,

This one may sound like a big fat DUH, but, don't use pesticides! Pesticides kill insects.
Plant nectar and pollen-producing flowers. Try geraniums, iris, foxglove, cosmos, zinnias, snowdrops, sunflowers, dahlias, asters, marigolds, hyacinths, crocuses, daisies, marigolds, daffodils, tulips, valerian, or catmint.
Since bees can see ultraviolet, colors like blue, purple, orange, and yellow are more attractive to them, but they cannot see red. So, plant flowers based on those colors as a guide.
Grow flowers that bloom over a range of seasons. This way, there will be food for the bees year-round.
Plant large patches of flowers in close proximity to one another.
Also, planting 10 or more species of plants will attract the largest number of bees.

Read more of my posts about bees here!
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Steal of the Day: Mercury Glass Beehive Cloche

CasaSugar — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 11:00:19 PDT

Growing up with a beekeeper father has left me with an oddly profound love for the buzzing creatures. I'm not about to harvest a beehive myself, but I wouldn't mind a bit of bee-themed décor. I think this elegant Wisteria Mercury Glass Beehive Cloche ($27, reduced from $54) is the perfect compromise, especially since it also supports my love for mercury glass. It would look très chic standing on its own anywhere in my home, but it's also a great place to hide keys or other odds and ends that build up day to day. I'd like to use it to save leftovers, but unfortunately it's not food-safe.

Casa Shops: Beehive Kitchenware Company

CasaSugar — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 04:30:47 PDT

While Beehive Kitchenware Company does make measuring cups and lemon juicers, their range of fanciful metal accents ensures that you can use them in any room of your home. I have my eyes on Beehive's Paisley Hooks ($27) myself, though there are plenty of other pieces that have enchanted me. The company, which is located in Massachusetts, is owned and operated by Jim Dowd and Sandra Bonazoli. The metalworkers' collaborative work has been exhibited at the Museum of Arts & Design.

Jim and Sandra's work has been featured everywhere from Gourmet to Architectural Digest. They were first influenced to create their metal home accents after seeing how beautiful antique kitchen items were. With the goal of melding form with function, they started their line of products. Birds and bees are a repeating motif in the company's metalwork, as are delicate petaled flowers. You can order these products online, or find them at a local retailer.

To see images of the products, and to hear about the company's environmental commitment,

Beehive notes that, as part of their environmental policy,

We use only recycled paper in our office and recycle all our paper, junk mail, and cardboard (no small feat!). Our packing peanuts are made from bio-degradable material. Our products come in boxes that are made from recycled, unbleached paper, and are most often nestled in a natural, compostable material. There is very little in the manufacture of our products that creates waste: any reject castings get re-melted, and we recycle every bit of our scrap metals. And of course all of our pewter is lead-free, without any electroplating, to protect the health of our water.

The company also only works with local and national suppliers to cut down on their carbon footprint. While these items are definitely not "needs" for a home, they will complete a home's look and add a whimsical, beautiful touch to any room. I like to think of Beehive's products as things that you might not necessarily buy for yourself, but would be on the top of your list for thank-you gifts for your favorite friends and family.

View 14 Photos ›

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Casa Quickie: Keeping Bees Away From Your Pool

CasaSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:00:02 PDT

It's hard to enjoy your endless Summer if bee stings come hand in hand with taking a dip in your pool. But bees have many uses for water, including drinking and using as material to build hives. So, unless there's another source of water nearby, you can bet your bottom dollar that they'll be making a poolside visit. According to the USDA, bees will forage any open water source, so the only way to detract them is by making the water unpalatable. You can do so by filling a spray bottle with a mix of 1/4 cup of dish soap or vinegar and a quart of water, and spraying bees that are at your pool. This will eliminate bees as they forage on water, and prevent others in the colony from learning about your pool's location.
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Bee Wary? Honey Bees Disappearing, Food Supply in Danger

CitizenSugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:30:09 PDT

Some people get their news from fancy newspapers and high falutin' websites, and some, if you're like me, learn things from the lid of a pint of Haagen-Dazs. Would that I were kidding, this is the truth folks: did you know that honey bees are disappearing like size 8 shoes at a sale? It's true. And without bees to pollinate the plants producing our fruits, vegetables, nuts - you know, the good stuff - we're about to get pretty hungry.

Since 2006, honeybees began to mysteriously disappear from their colonies destroying nearly a third of US hives - and the rate of decline is increasing, reaching 36 percent last Winter. About a third of our food sources require pollination, and plants cannot grow without it. During a hearing by the House subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture, one expert asked the very worrying question: “How would our federal government respond if one out of every three cows was dying?” To see what might be behind this bee-witching development,

Because this phenomena is fairly recent, research and the money to do so have yet to blossom; though money is starting to roll in as the repercussions of this decline in pollination are beginning to be fully realized. Although no conclusive data has been ascertained, scientists suspect several culprits, among them:

Loss of habitat and a combination of pesticides that disrupt the bees neurology. One study of 108 pollen samples exposed 46 pesticides and as many as 17 in one sample.
Single crop cultures create a so-called “floral desert” with little diversity. One of these floral deserts is the 660,000 thousand acres in the San Joaquin Valley that offers cross-pollinators only almond trees as their only diet. It's like gorging yourself on hamburgers for a month and then starving the rest of the year. Not so great for productivity.

Here's where the ice cream comes in: Haagen Dazs is attempting to alert the public to this crisis and is awarding a $250,000 grant to UC Davis and the University of Pennsylvania. They’ve also started a public education campaign and have begun making a limited (hopefully) edition flavor called Vanilla Honey Bee in the hope to distribute 1 million flower seeds to groups and individuals to plant flora that will aid native pollinators.

Now that might have some people buzzing. Where have all the flowers (and bees!) gone? Come back, busy bees!

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Graham And Brown Marcel Wanders Stella Wallpaper $4 - Design Public	Kartell honeycomb folding chair $329 - Hive Modern
French Honeycomb Mirror $399 - Wisteria	Lime Green Honeycomb Tumbler ($25)
Honeycomb Sheet Set $48 - Anthropologie	Fan Platter $16 - Crate & Barrel
Large Honeycomb Modern Wall Clock ($199)	Roost Indigo Chisel Glass Vases $60 - Velocity Art and Design
Established & Sons - quilt collection by ronan & erwan bouroullec for established & sons $13420 - Unica Home	Hive Wall Mounted Coat Rack ($70)