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Would You Add a Beehive to Your Home?

CasaSugar — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:30:26 -0700

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 -0700

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, read more.

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 -0700

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 -0700

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, read more.

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.

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Casa Quickie: Keeping Bees Away From Your Pool

CasaSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:00:02 -0700

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 -0700

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, read more.

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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Do you Have a Stylish Mum?

FabSugarUK — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:37 -0800

I don't know whether to feel sorry for or insanely jealous of Bee Schafer. The daughter of Anna Wintour has a tough act to follow, but at the same time it can't hurt to have a Mother with an impressive wardrobe to dip in to every now and then! The Mother and daughter were photographed at the Landscape Show hosted by Dodie Kazanjian last week looking quite the stylish duo.

Sadly, my Mum threw out a lot of her stuff from the '60s and '70s (a mistake I will not repeat with my own clothes), but I still borrow things from her every now and then. We obviously have very different styles, but I love to shop with her. How about you, do you have a stylish Mother?

What's the Deal With Bee Venom Therapy?

FitSugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 08:00:00 -0700

I have an irrational fear of bees and was certainly surprised to learn that some people choose to be stung in what is somewhat euphemistically called bee venom therapy. The procedure works like this: a bee, raised solely for therapeutic reasons, is picked up with tweezers and held against skin until it stings. Some people undergo 80 stings a day or more.

It's hard to believe anyone would purposely subject themselves to this kind of pain, but bee stings are thought to ease the symptoms of a variety of conditions. Bee venom contains melittin, an anti-inflammatory substance said to be 100 times stronger than hydrocortisone. Melittin can also help activate the body's adrenal glands enhancing the natural healing process. Also found in bee venom, adolapin is a powerful pain reliever.

People suffering from arthritis, multiple sclerosis, tendinitis, and fibromyalgia claim they've benefited from the healing power of bee stings. Do you think you could handle bee venom therapy?

Reader Review of the Day: Burt's Bees Shea and Grapefruit Deep Conditioner

BellaSugar — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:00:49 -0700

I like so many Burt's Bees products, but I'd never even heard of Burt's Bees Shea and Grapefruit Deep Conditioner ($8) until reader Yogaforlife reviewed it. It sounds great, though, and I'm really glad she mentioned it. She says:

"I normally use Pureology shampoo/conditioners to protect my color-treated hair in between salon visits, but I noticed that my hair felt really dry lately. I wanted to try a hair treatment and a friend recommended this. I shampooed like normal and then put this conditioner on. I left it on for about 20 minutes and then rinsed it using cold water. When my hair was wet and I tried combing it, I must admit I got a little scared that it didn't feel super slick like most conditioners leave my hair. Once my hair was dry, though, it felt incredibly soft and shiny and smelled so good. I now use this once or twice a week, and it's made such a difference."

Got a product you don't hear about much that's actually really great? Want to know what other readers' hair, makeup, and skincare saviors are? Just pop over to the Product Reviews pages, then. We have more than 50,000 products up for review, and we're adding new ones daily. It's a great way to inform others and learn a little yourself.

Reader Review of the Day: Burt's Bees Facial Cleanser

BellaSugar — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 08:00:35 -0700

I love Burt's Bees, but given how essential oils like orange can affect my skin, I was hesitant to try its Burt's Bees Facial Cleanser ($8). Reader a million suns, however, actually saw her skin irritation go down when she used the product. She says:

"My skin has been extremely sensitive and reactive lately-and always fairly dry, since I live in Nevada-and every time I'd use my Neutrogena cleanser, my face would look red and blotchy. Then I picked up this cleanser at the store and gave it a try. No redness, no blotchiness, nada. Plus, my skin felt totally refreshed. It is a little bit thick, but all I have to do is mix it with water (squeeze a nickel-sized amount onto your hand, run it under the faucet, rub your hands together) to get it to spread easily. Plus, I love the orange scent!"

New cleanser you're crazy about? Thinking about making a switch and want to know what other people think? Then our Product Reviews pages are the place to be! You can see reviews of more than 50,000 products, and write some of your own.