Pollinators in the News!
End of Season Report for our Posies for Pollinators Garden
- 2 sightings of Monarchs in our pollinator garden in town. May have been same Monarch.
- Most pollinator activity around marigolds, butterfly bush, sunflowers, blackeyed susans.
- Saved seeds from swamp milkweed and in-town butterfly weed, marigolds, blackeyed susans. See our Useful Links and Resources to learn more about harvesting and saving seeds, as well as fall planting of milkweed seeds.
Be sure to follow Posies for Pollinators on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/posies4pollinators/ and on Twitter @posies4!
Australia leads in efforts to solve bee mystery
By Helen Clark, The Diplomat
November 09, 2015
http://thediplomat.com/2015/11/australia-leads-in-efforts-to-solve-bee-mystery/
Amid California drought, hope for the Monarch butterfly
Associated Press
October 20, 2015, 10:09 AM_
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/amid-california-drought-hope-for-the-monarch-butterfly/
By Helen Clark, The Diplomat
November 09, 2015
http://thediplomat.com/2015/11/australia-leads-in-efforts-to-solve-bee-mystery/
Amid California drought, hope for the Monarch butterfly
Associated Press
October 20, 2015, 10:09 AM_
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/amid-california-drought-hope-for-the-monarch-butterfly/
REPORT ON THE FIRST SUMMER OF OUR POSIES FOR POLLINATORS GARDENS - August 17, 2015
Sadly, this has NOT been a good summer for gardens in Central PA, nor has the severe rainy or hot/dry weather been good for growing in many areas around the US. In June 2015 we had only 9 days of sunny weather; it rained the other 21 days. Consequently, many of our posies grown from seed were spindly from lack of sun, and many were even stunted or delayed in growing and blooming. We lost two of our grown lavender plants because of the weather. And it was difficult to get out to maintain the garden in the pouring rain. But you do the best you can with what you've got, right?
Our second batch of swamp milkweed plants were, thankfully, very hearty; they bloomed and are now podding. These two fast-growing beauties watch over the graves of dear 14-year-old Woody the Lab, who was put down in August, and Sandy the Husky who died last year. We will be creating a new Posies for Pollinators garden on their gravesite next spring.
Our bee pool and bee hotel are up and running. See our step-by-step instructions so you can create your own Pollinator Resort.
Lessons learned: 1/ Start milkweed seeds before spring planting season - this is cheaper than buying the established plants; 2/ Plant seeds in the garden early in the season; 3/Thin out seedlings early on; 4/When weather is unpredictable, established plants may work better than seeds; 5/ Plant it and they will come - the bees and butterflies have been arriving at our main posie garden location, and the bees have been loving my garden beds; 6/ Rethink the compost - maybe not put fruit/vegetable seeds into it.
There have been a few pretty flowers popping up their heads among the mess in our beds. And we've had numerous interlopers springing up from the compost that we used. The posies beds at the other residence display some spindly-looking flowers, but I was also gifted with some surprises that popped up unexpectedly! View the Gallery below and click on the photos to learn more.
We'd love to hear about your Posies for Pollinators garden! Contact us on Twitter (@posies4) or Facebook (facebook.com/posies4pollinators).
Sadly, this has NOT been a good summer for gardens in Central PA, nor has the severe rainy or hot/dry weather been good for growing in many areas around the US. In June 2015 we had only 9 days of sunny weather; it rained the other 21 days. Consequently, many of our posies grown from seed were spindly from lack of sun, and many were even stunted or delayed in growing and blooming. We lost two of our grown lavender plants because of the weather. And it was difficult to get out to maintain the garden in the pouring rain. But you do the best you can with what you've got, right?
Our second batch of swamp milkweed plants were, thankfully, very hearty; they bloomed and are now podding. These two fast-growing beauties watch over the graves of dear 14-year-old Woody the Lab, who was put down in August, and Sandy the Husky who died last year. We will be creating a new Posies for Pollinators garden on their gravesite next spring.
Our bee pool and bee hotel are up and running. See our step-by-step instructions so you can create your own Pollinator Resort.
Lessons learned: 1/ Start milkweed seeds before spring planting season - this is cheaper than buying the established plants; 2/ Plant seeds in the garden early in the season; 3/Thin out seedlings early on; 4/When weather is unpredictable, established plants may work better than seeds; 5/ Plant it and they will come - the bees and butterflies have been arriving at our main posie garden location, and the bees have been loving my garden beds; 6/ Rethink the compost - maybe not put fruit/vegetable seeds into it.
There have been a few pretty flowers popping up their heads among the mess in our beds. And we've had numerous interlopers springing up from the compost that we used. The posies beds at the other residence display some spindly-looking flowers, but I was also gifted with some surprises that popped up unexpectedly! View the Gallery below and click on the photos to learn more.
We'd love to hear about your Posies for Pollinators garden! Contact us on Twitter (@posies4) or Facebook (facebook.com/posies4pollinators).
Winnie the Pooh helps to save the honeybees -- naturally!
By Rina Marie Doctor, Tech Times
June 26, 2015 6:31 AM
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/63528/20150626/beekeepers-team-up-with-winnie-the-pooh-to-save-threatened-bees.htm
Monsanto herbicide faces global fallout after WHO labels it as possible carcinogen
By Eva Sirinathsinghji , The Ecologist
June 15, 2015
http://www.alternet.org/environment/monsanto-herbicide-faces-global-fallout-after-world-health-organization-labels-it
Congratulations to Margaret Polino Nicholas, the winner of our prize drawing for both Twitter and Facebook!
Thanks, Margaret! Enjoy her two beautiful photos of her Pollinator Gardens above.
Show us your Posies! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to be eligible to win prizes!
Follow us and tweet/post a photo of your posies for pollinators to be eligible for our prize drawing on June 15, 2015! The Twitter prize is a beautiful book called Bee Happy! Wit and Wisdom for a Happy Life by Maryjo Koch. The Facebook prize is a bag of Pennington Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden Wildflower Seed Mixture which will cover up to 1,000 square feet (and is suitable for planting in Spring or late Fall)! Only individual (personal) Twitter and Facebook accounts in the USA are eligible for the random drawing - sorry! Entries must be posted by 9pm EDT June 15. Winners will be contacted through Twitter direct message or through Facebook. You can find us at twitter.com/@posies4 and facebook.com/posies4pollinators.
Obama's Plan to Save the Monarch Butterflies' Epic Migration
By Luke Whelan, Mother Jones
Sat May 23, 2015 3:52 PM EDT
http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2015/05/whats-deal-obamas-plan-save-monarch-butterflys-epic-migration
We all get stung by bee colony collapse
By Patterson Clark, Washington Post
Published: May 18, 2015
http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/we-all-get-stung-by-bee-colony-collapse/1108/
Obama Unveils Plan to Reverse Alarming Decline of Honeybees
The White House released three goals for saving honeybees and other pollinators, which are crucial to the nation's economy. But money isn't enough, one expert says.
By Carrie Arnold, National Geographic
PUBLISHED MAY 19, 2015
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/05/150519-pollinators-health-honeybees-obama-animals-science/
Obama Task Force Lays Out Plan to Save Honeybees
Research to investigate link between pesticides and honeybee die-off rate
By Tennille Tracey, Wall Street Journal
Updated May 19, 2015 5:33 p.m. ET
http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-task-force-lays-out-plan-to-save-honeybees-1432051769
Plan to save monarch butterflies backfires
By Lizzie Wade, Science Magazine
13 January 2015 7:15 pm
http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2015/01/plan-save-monarch-butterflies-backfires
Obama announces plan to save honey bees
By Faith Karimi, CNN
Updated 7:25 AM ET, Mon June 23, 2014
http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/22/politics/honey-bees-protection/
THIS IS WHAT YOUR GROCERY STORE LOOKS LIKE WITHOUT HONEYBEES
Whole Foods Market® partners with The Xerces Society to protect pollinator populations
PROVIDENCE, RI (June 14, 2013)
http://media.wholefoodsmarket.com/news/bees
Declining honeybees a 'threat' to food supply
US dependent on insects to pollinate about one-third of crops
Associated Press, updated 5/2/2007 5:00:05 PM ET
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/18442426/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/declining-honeybees-threat-food-supply/#.VWNS_dJViko
Toxic pollen from widely planted, genetically modified corn can kill monarch butterflies, Cornell study shows
By Blaine Friedlander, Cornell
April 19, 1999
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/1999/04/toxic-pollen-bt-corn-can-kill-monarch-butterflies
Thanks, Margaret! Enjoy her two beautiful photos of her Pollinator Gardens above.
Show us your Posies! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to be eligible to win prizes!
Follow us and tweet/post a photo of your posies for pollinators to be eligible for our prize drawing on June 15, 2015! The Twitter prize is a beautiful book called Bee Happy! Wit and Wisdom for a Happy Life by Maryjo Koch. The Facebook prize is a bag of Pennington Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden Wildflower Seed Mixture which will cover up to 1,000 square feet (and is suitable for planting in Spring or late Fall)! Only individual (personal) Twitter and Facebook accounts in the USA are eligible for the random drawing - sorry! Entries must be posted by 9pm EDT June 15. Winners will be contacted through Twitter direct message or through Facebook. You can find us at twitter.com/@posies4 and facebook.com/posies4pollinators.
Obama's Plan to Save the Monarch Butterflies' Epic Migration
By Luke Whelan, Mother Jones
Sat May 23, 2015 3:52 PM EDT
http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2015/05/whats-deal-obamas-plan-save-monarch-butterflys-epic-migration
We all get stung by bee colony collapse
By Patterson Clark, Washington Post
Published: May 18, 2015
http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/page/national/we-all-get-stung-by-bee-colony-collapse/1108/
Obama Unveils Plan to Reverse Alarming Decline of Honeybees
The White House released three goals for saving honeybees and other pollinators, which are crucial to the nation's economy. But money isn't enough, one expert says.
By Carrie Arnold, National Geographic
PUBLISHED MAY 19, 2015
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/05/150519-pollinators-health-honeybees-obama-animals-science/
Obama Task Force Lays Out Plan to Save Honeybees
Research to investigate link between pesticides and honeybee die-off rate
By Tennille Tracey, Wall Street Journal
Updated May 19, 2015 5:33 p.m. ET
http://www.wsj.com/articles/obama-task-force-lays-out-plan-to-save-honeybees-1432051769
Plan to save monarch butterflies backfires
By Lizzie Wade, Science Magazine
13 January 2015 7:15 pm
http://news.sciencemag.org/biology/2015/01/plan-save-monarch-butterflies-backfires
Obama announces plan to save honey bees
By Faith Karimi, CNN
Updated 7:25 AM ET, Mon June 23, 2014
http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/22/politics/honey-bees-protection/
THIS IS WHAT YOUR GROCERY STORE LOOKS LIKE WITHOUT HONEYBEES
Whole Foods Market® partners with The Xerces Society to protect pollinator populations
PROVIDENCE, RI (June 14, 2013)
http://media.wholefoodsmarket.com/news/bees
Declining honeybees a 'threat' to food supply
US dependent on insects to pollinate about one-third of crops
Associated Press, updated 5/2/2007 5:00:05 PM ET
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/18442426/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/t/declining-honeybees-threat-food-supply/#.VWNS_dJViko
Toxic pollen from widely planted, genetically modified corn can kill monarch butterflies, Cornell study shows
By Blaine Friedlander, Cornell
April 19, 1999
http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/1999/04/toxic-pollen-bt-corn-can-kill-monarch-butterflies