Our social mission is to empower you to provide healthy environments for honey bees & native pollinators.
Our community mission is to introduce you to Nashville chefs who include our honey in their menu.
Our hope is to inspire you to learn more about bees & honey.
Why do BEES need our help? What can I do? Read here then follow the provided links to published research papers, articles or web sites on each topic.
Lifestyle Choices Impact National Economics & Influence Agriculture
In our consumer economy, each purchase equals one vote. The evidence is in the changes we all witness when we walk into our local, major chain grocery stores. In 1994, we shopped at the grocery store and then drove to the health food store, which offered mostly vitamins and dry goods. My Nashville family couldn't wait to stocked up on Wild Oats fresh, organic veggies whenever we visited family in Atlanta, GA. Now, health foods stores are called natural foods grocers and even Walmart, Publix and Kroger have organic sections. This is because you and I changed our buying habits; the profit and loss impact on corporations stated clearly that "we don't want food substitutes". We can feel good about this change, but we also need to be realistic about the glass half full. Sue Bee Honey is marketed by a multi-billion dollar commercial beekeeping industry giant that provides "natural honey sweeteners" for the frozen and processed food corporations. Yes, honey is a natural sweetener, but we must delve deeper and realize that not all honey is equal and not all beekeeping methods benefit our bees.
YOU CAN: Buy local, raw honey from beekeepers who live in your region. Teach your children how to buy fresh, local vegetables at the farmer's market. Join a CSA - Community Supported Agriculture - to actively support the Community American Sustainable Agriculture movement. When you run into the local grocery store, choose organic or natural products over processed foods. Plan a menu that includes freezing your own fresh cooked dinners. Conserve water and install a kitchen water filter system. AND When you eat out, support the "farm to table" restaurants at home and where you travel.
Stop Buying Poisons - Pesticide, Herbicides and Fungicides
In 1991, the first nicotine-based insecticide, imidacloprid (Gaucho®), was introduced into the USA by Bayer CropScience. It was licensed in Europe in 1994. Neonicotinoids are a group of systemic insecticides routinely used in modern farming systems to help protect crops such as oilseed rape, maize, sugarbeet, sunflowers and potatoes from sap sucking insects such as aphids and other insect herbivores. Water-soluble pesticides such as neonicotinoids are readily absorbed by plant roots and transported systemically in the plant’s vascular system to other portions of the plant, including roots, pollen, leaves, stems, and fruit. This systemic action results in the exposure of beneficial, non-target insects, such as bees, to potentially lethal doses of neonicotinoids. Most importantly, research published by several universities in 2012 found the combination of seemingly mild doses of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides serve to weaken, sterilize, sicken and eventually kill honey bees, native pollinators, birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians and mammals.
You may already associate neonicotinoids with agribusiness; but its important to be aware of the many places pesticide, herbicides and fungicides are utilized. Millions of pounds are used annually in public parks, on schools and universities grounds, golf courses, along road sides by public transportation departments and in our residential and urban gardens by you and I and our landscapers. Neonicotinoids are sold in hardware stores, grocery stores and garden centers across the country because they kill beetle larvae (like white grub larvae in lawns), fleas (Advantage flea control products, and nitenpyram pills for pets), certain wood boring pests, flies (fly baits), cockroaches and all kinds "bugs". Nurseries commonly apply neonicotinoids as soil injections, granualar or liquid soil treatments, it is also used as a foliar sprays applied to leaves. http://grist.org/news/bee-friendly-plants-could-be-bee-killers/ http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2013/07/bee-colony-collapse-disorder-fungicides
YOU CAN: Look at the products you currently own and research their impact. Talk to your nursery, landscapers and lawn service about the products they use. If you see one of the following names listed, the insecticide includes a neonicotinoid:
Loss of Habitat
Native plants evolved to grow in local conditions and to predictable sizes. Nashville is in the Eastern Broadleaf Forest (Continental) Province; our region is rich with an abundant variety of hardy, indigenous trees, shrubs and hundreds of wildflowers. However, 21st century landscaping has replaced the traditional 20th century southern gardens filled with native blooms and vegetables. Now we mulch bushes that are native to northern states and plant fast growing hybrid trees. Our manicured lawns require regular seeding, fertilizing, cutting, watering, thatching and a variety of herbicides to kill Tennessee wildflowers and grasses now "officially" classified as weeds. Our local paper and gardening magazines recommend Broadleaf weed control herbicides; unfortunately, many of these natives Broadleaf plants have symbiotic relationships with pollinators. http://www.esa.org/ecoservices/poll/body.poll.scie.decl.html
YOU CAN: Consider becoming a native gardener! The Eastern Broadleaf Forest offers a combination of hardy "broadleaf native ground cover" that are perennials and suitable for our shady yards. White Clover (Trifiolium epens), Ground Ivy (Clechoma hederacea) and Tennessee Wild Violets (Viola papilionacea) will survive a dry summer, bloom profusely and grow only four inches tall. Our endangered wildflowers and indigenous bushes thrive in rocky, clay soil. Our flowering trees are perfectly suited to a wide variety of regional pollinators. Native pollinators need untidy areas in the garden to nest, so leave some open sandy ground, brush piles and a few old trees stump at the back of your garden. Importantly, your bees, pets and children will thrive in a beautiful garden without the risk of exposure to harsh chemicals. http://www.plantnative.org/how_intro.htm
Honey Bees Need a Balanced Diet Too
Nutritional stress undermines colony health through a variety of mechanisms, including immune system harm and reduction in reproductive viability. The combination of exposure to poisons, loss of habitat and inadequate forage weakens our native pollinators. Bees need a variety of nectar and pollen to obtain a balanced diet. Nectar is the bee's carbohydrate and pollen is their protein; within each kind of nectar are slightly different essential enzymes and pollens differ in their combinations of amino acids. Healthy bees require sequential and varied sources of nutrients from early spring, through the summer and into the late fall; this result is best attained from a combination of blooming trees, shrubs and flowers.
Planting Guides by zip code - http://www.pollinator.org/guides.htm
Download a guide specific to the Nashville, Tennessee region - http://www.pollinator.org/zip-map.test.htm?zipcode=37174
Riparian buffers are vegetated areas next to water resources that protect water resources from runoff water pollution and provide bank stabilization and aquatic and wildlife habitat. Riparian Restoration Protecting and restoring your streambank and shoreline property. The following fact sheets are designed to help owners of streambank or shoreline property create landscaping plans that not only enhance their property but also protect water resources. http://www.tva.com/river/landandshore/stabilization/index.htm
Download a guide to maintain a healthy riparian buffer for creeks and rivers - www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/wqg/sri/riparian5.pdf
YOU CAN: Learn the facts and get involved! Join us in taking a stand against the use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. Balance this protest by taking positive actions. Plant an easy to maintain native garden and stay informed through a Xerces Society membership. Invite your family and friends to make Nashville a bee-friendly city with fewer chemicals. http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/
PLANT LIST LINKS and sources for Nashville region native plants:
NASHVILLE NATIVES, Fairview, TN 37062 - www.nashvillenatives.com/files/NN_Plant_List_2014.pdf
GRO-WILD, Fairview, TN - Check out their fall plant sale 10-50% off all native plants. : October 17, 2015, Saturday 8am-5pm http://www.growildinc.com/
TVA - Tennessee Valley Authority Detailed Plant Search engine - http://www.tva.com/river/landandshore/stabilization/plantsearch_detail.htm
SEDUM GARDEN offers Wildflower Seed Mixes - http://www.sedumgarden.net/collections/wildflower-seed-mixes
FIND NATIVE PLANTS - Tennessee Native Plant Resource page - http://findnativeplants.com/south/tennessee-native-plants/
Xerces.org has a remarkable page of links for site specific recommended native plants that are highly attractive to pollinators such as native bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds, and are well-suited for small-scale plantings in gardens, on business and school campuses, in urban greenspaces, and in farm field borders. http://www.xerces.org/fact-sheets/
Information on this page may be freely shared to benefit bees.
Lifestyle Choices Impact National Economics & Influence Agriculture
In our consumer economy, each purchase equals one vote. The evidence is in the changes we all witness when we walk into our local, major chain grocery stores. In 1994, we shopped at the grocery store and then drove to the health food store, which offered mostly vitamins and dry goods. My Nashville family couldn't wait to stocked up on Wild Oats fresh, organic veggies whenever we visited family in Atlanta, GA. Now, health foods stores are called natural foods grocers and even Walmart, Publix and Kroger have organic sections. This is because you and I changed our buying habits; the profit and loss impact on corporations stated clearly that "we don't want food substitutes". We can feel good about this change, but we also need to be realistic about the glass half full. Sue Bee Honey is marketed by a multi-billion dollar commercial beekeeping industry giant that provides "natural honey sweeteners" for the frozen and processed food corporations. Yes, honey is a natural sweetener, but we must delve deeper and realize that not all honey is equal and not all beekeeping methods benefit our bees.
YOU CAN: Buy local, raw honey from beekeepers who live in your region. Teach your children how to buy fresh, local vegetables at the farmer's market. Join a CSA - Community Supported Agriculture - to actively support the Community American Sustainable Agriculture movement. When you run into the local grocery store, choose organic or natural products over processed foods. Plan a menu that includes freezing your own fresh cooked dinners. Conserve water and install a kitchen water filter system. AND When you eat out, support the "farm to table" restaurants at home and where you travel.
Stop Buying Poisons - Pesticide, Herbicides and Fungicides
In 1991, the first nicotine-based insecticide, imidacloprid (Gaucho®), was introduced into the USA by Bayer CropScience. It was licensed in Europe in 1994. Neonicotinoids are a group of systemic insecticides routinely used in modern farming systems to help protect crops such as oilseed rape, maize, sugarbeet, sunflowers and potatoes from sap sucking insects such as aphids and other insect herbivores. Water-soluble pesticides such as neonicotinoids are readily absorbed by plant roots and transported systemically in the plant’s vascular system to other portions of the plant, including roots, pollen, leaves, stems, and fruit. This systemic action results in the exposure of beneficial, non-target insects, such as bees, to potentially lethal doses of neonicotinoids. Most importantly, research published by several universities in 2012 found the combination of seemingly mild doses of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides serve to weaken, sterilize, sicken and eventually kill honey bees, native pollinators, birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians and mammals.
You may already associate neonicotinoids with agribusiness; but its important to be aware of the many places pesticide, herbicides and fungicides are utilized. Millions of pounds are used annually in public parks, on schools and universities grounds, golf courses, along road sides by public transportation departments and in our residential and urban gardens by you and I and our landscapers. Neonicotinoids are sold in hardware stores, grocery stores and garden centers across the country because they kill beetle larvae (like white grub larvae in lawns), fleas (Advantage flea control products, and nitenpyram pills for pets), certain wood boring pests, flies (fly baits), cockroaches and all kinds "bugs". Nurseries commonly apply neonicotinoids as soil injections, granualar or liquid soil treatments, it is also used as a foliar sprays applied to leaves. http://grist.org/news/bee-friendly-plants-could-be-bee-killers/ http://www.motherjones.com/tom-philpott/2013/07/bee-colony-collapse-disorder-fungicides
YOU CAN: Look at the products you currently own and research their impact. Talk to your nursery, landscapers and lawn service about the products they use. If you see one of the following names listed, the insecticide includes a neonicotinoid:
- Acetamiprid
- Clothianidin
- Dinotefuran
- Imidacloprid
- Nitenpyram
- Thiocloprid
- Thiamethoxam
Loss of Habitat
Native plants evolved to grow in local conditions and to predictable sizes. Nashville is in the Eastern Broadleaf Forest (Continental) Province; our region is rich with an abundant variety of hardy, indigenous trees, shrubs and hundreds of wildflowers. However, 21st century landscaping has replaced the traditional 20th century southern gardens filled with native blooms and vegetables. Now we mulch bushes that are native to northern states and plant fast growing hybrid trees. Our manicured lawns require regular seeding, fertilizing, cutting, watering, thatching and a variety of herbicides to kill Tennessee wildflowers and grasses now "officially" classified as weeds. Our local paper and gardening magazines recommend Broadleaf weed control herbicides; unfortunately, many of these natives Broadleaf plants have symbiotic relationships with pollinators. http://www.esa.org/ecoservices/poll/body.poll.scie.decl.html
YOU CAN: Consider becoming a native gardener! The Eastern Broadleaf Forest offers a combination of hardy "broadleaf native ground cover" that are perennials and suitable for our shady yards. White Clover (Trifiolium epens), Ground Ivy (Clechoma hederacea) and Tennessee Wild Violets (Viola papilionacea) will survive a dry summer, bloom profusely and grow only four inches tall. Our endangered wildflowers and indigenous bushes thrive in rocky, clay soil. Our flowering trees are perfectly suited to a wide variety of regional pollinators. Native pollinators need untidy areas in the garden to nest, so leave some open sandy ground, brush piles and a few old trees stump at the back of your garden. Importantly, your bees, pets and children will thrive in a beautiful garden without the risk of exposure to harsh chemicals. http://www.plantnative.org/how_intro.htm
Honey Bees Need a Balanced Diet Too
Nutritional stress undermines colony health through a variety of mechanisms, including immune system harm and reduction in reproductive viability. The combination of exposure to poisons, loss of habitat and inadequate forage weakens our native pollinators. Bees need a variety of nectar and pollen to obtain a balanced diet. Nectar is the bee's carbohydrate and pollen is their protein; within each kind of nectar are slightly different essential enzymes and pollens differ in their combinations of amino acids. Healthy bees require sequential and varied sources of nutrients from early spring, through the summer and into the late fall; this result is best attained from a combination of blooming trees, shrubs and flowers.
Planting Guides by zip code - http://www.pollinator.org/guides.htm
Download a guide specific to the Nashville, Tennessee region - http://www.pollinator.org/zip-map.test.htm?zipcode=37174
Riparian buffers are vegetated areas next to water resources that protect water resources from runoff water pollution and provide bank stabilization and aquatic and wildlife habitat. Riparian Restoration Protecting and restoring your streambank and shoreline property. The following fact sheets are designed to help owners of streambank or shoreline property create landscaping plans that not only enhance their property but also protect water resources. http://www.tva.com/river/landandshore/stabilization/index.htm
Download a guide to maintain a healthy riparian buffer for creeks and rivers - www.bae.ncsu.edu/programs/extension/wqg/sri/riparian5.pdf
YOU CAN: Learn the facts and get involved! Join us in taking a stand against the use of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. Balance this protest by taking positive actions. Plant an easy to maintain native garden and stay informed through a Xerces Society membership. Invite your family and friends to make Nashville a bee-friendly city with fewer chemicals. http://www.xerces.org/pollinator-conservation/
PLANT LIST LINKS and sources for Nashville region native plants:
NASHVILLE NATIVES, Fairview, TN 37062 - www.nashvillenatives.com/files/NN_Plant_List_2014.pdf
GRO-WILD, Fairview, TN - Check out their fall plant sale 10-50% off all native plants. : October 17, 2015, Saturday 8am-5pm http://www.growildinc.com/
TVA - Tennessee Valley Authority Detailed Plant Search engine - http://www.tva.com/river/landandshore/stabilization/plantsearch_detail.htm
SEDUM GARDEN offers Wildflower Seed Mixes - http://www.sedumgarden.net/collections/wildflower-seed-mixes
FIND NATIVE PLANTS - Tennessee Native Plant Resource page - http://findnativeplants.com/south/tennessee-native-plants/
Xerces.org has a remarkable page of links for site specific recommended native plants that are highly attractive to pollinators such as native bees, honey bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds, and are well-suited for small-scale plantings in gardens, on business and school campuses, in urban greenspaces, and in farm field borders. http://www.xerces.org/fact-sheets/
Information on this page may be freely shared to benefit bees.