New "Haagen-Dazs loves the Honey Bees" campaign and website

Last week Mike brought some ice cream home from the shops. We only eat Bryers and Haagen-Dazs, and only the flavors they create that do not contain those various gums and thickeners. But this still leaves a lot of wonderful choices to enjoy from these two brands.

On the side of one of his cartons was a heart bearing wings, and covered in black and yellow stripes. That's where we first learned about the Haagen-Dazs campaign Help the Honey Bees

Please go to their delightful website! It's visually beautiful; it's a lot of interactive fun; it's informative. I just love the site and listening to the soundtrack of birds gently singing while everything outside my window is covered with snow and ice. If you have children, the site will be a perfect way to introduce them to the world of honey bees.

Honey bee populations are disappearing, endangering the all-natural foods they help pollinate-- an amazing one-third of all the food we eat. Join Häagen-Dazs ice cream in spreading awareness about the honey bee issue and finding a way to help them thrive...

...We're learning a lot about bees, but we're ice cream makers, not entomologists. That's why we've created the Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream Bee Board--a group of leading bee researchers and beekeepers who can provide us with insights on the honey bee issue.

Bee Board Members:

Robert Berghage, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University

Sue Cobey, University of California at Davis

Diana Cox-Foster, Ph.D., Pennsylvania State University

Eric Mussen, Ph.D., University of California at Davis

Michael Parrella, Ph.D., University of California at Davis

Dennis Van Engelsdorp, Pennsylvania State University

Randy Oliver, Beekeeping Expert and Teacher

David Hackenberg, Bee Expert and Owner of Hackenberg Apiaries

...Giving back has never been so delicious!

See it for yourself.  Make and email a bee to your friends. Buy a tee shirt. Have fun. 

Deadly problems for another pollinator

Besides feeding on mosquitoes and other insect pests, bats are also pollinators. All the more reason the following article is extremely troubling.


"Deadly Bat Epidemic Still Baffling Scientists"

Friday , February 15, 2008

Associated Press--ROSENDALE, N.Y. — "Bats in New York and Vermont are mysteriously dying off by the thousands, often with a white ring of fungus around their noses, and scientists in hazmat suits are crawling into dank caves to find out why.

" 'White nose syndrome,' as the killer has been dubbed, is spreading at an alarming rate, with researchers calling it the gravest threat in memory to bats in the U.S.

" 'This is definitely unprecedented,' said Lori Pruitt, an endangered-species biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Bloomington, Ind. 'The hugest concern at this point is that we do not know what it is.'

"A significant loss of bats is chilling in itself to wildlife experts. But — like the mysterious mass die-offs around the country of bees that pollinate all sorts of vital fruits and vegetables — the bat deaths could have economic implications.

"Bats feed on insects that can damage dozens of crops, including wheat and apples.

" 'Without large populations of bats, there would certainly be an impact on agriculture,' said Barbara French of Bat Conservation International of Austin, Texas.

"White nose syndrome has afflicted at least four species of hibernating bats, spreading from a cluster of four caves near Albany last winter to more than a dozen caverns up to 130 miles away.

"Alan Hicks, a wildlife biologist with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, said he fears a catastrophic collapse of the region's bat population and is urgently enlisting experts around the country to find the cause.

"It is not even clear if the fungus around the bats' noses — something scientists say they have never seen before — is a cause or a symptom. It may be a sign the bats are too sick to groom themselves, said Beth Buckles, a veterinary pathologist at Cornell University.

"The die-offs could be caused by bacteria or a virus. Or the bats could be reacting to some toxin or other environmental factor.

"Whatever it is, afflicted bats are burning through their winter stores of fat before hibernation ends in the spring, and appear to be starving.

"The Northeast has generally had mild winters in recent years. But Hicks said he doubts that is the culprit in some way, since there are no reports of large die-offs in warmer states.

"Nor are there any known links between what is wiping out the bees and what is killing the bats. The cause of the bee deaths is still a mystery, though scientists are looking at pesticides, parasites and a virus not previously seen in the U.S.

"Researchers said there is no evidence the mysterious killer is any threat to humans. Scientists venturing into the caves wear hazardous-materials suits and breathing masks primarily to protect the bats, not themselves.

"Hicks said it is possible that a cave explorer introduced the problem in the Albany-area caves and that it spread from there.

" 'It could have been some caver in Tanzania with a little mud on his boot and a week later he's in a cave in New York,' he said.

"New York officials are asking people to stay out of bat caves in case humans are unwittingly spreading the problem.

"The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is asking people not to enter caves with gear or clothing used in any New York and Vermont cave within the past two years.

"The first inkling of trouble came in January 2007, when a cave explorer spotted an unusual number of bat carcasses around the mouth of a cave in the hills west of Albany.

"Within a month, people in the area were calling in with reports of bats flying outside in the middle of the day.

" 'We didn't know anything other than bats were coming out and they were just dying on the landscape,' Hicks said. 'They were crashing into snow banks, crawling into wood piles and dying.'

"By winter's end, 8,000 to 11,000 bats were presumed dead in the four caves. The mystery affliction has spread much farther this winter.

"Death counts are not in yet for this winter since afflicted bats die slowly. But Hicks said there are 200,000 or more bats hibernating in caves where white nose has been detected.

"Hicks recently led a team of scientists into an abandoned mine in this Hudson Valley town about 80 miles north of New York City.

"He directed his headlamp on a cluster of seven brown bats, smaller than mice, hanging high on the limestone wall. Four had the telltale white flecks on their muzzles.

"He tapped one of the afflicted bats with a long stick, and it fell, already dead. Another groggily spread its papery wings on Hicks' gloved hand.

"The sickly bat was put into a cardboard takeout-soup container to be put to death and studied, since it was doomed anyway.

"A group of Indiana bats, a federally protected endangered species, was spotted hanging lower down in the mine for cooler air, a common strategy for sick bats.

"Hicks whispered grimly: 'These guys are toast.' "

The evolution of consciousness and honey bees

"...we cannot rely on those in positions of power and leadership to solve the myriad social and environmental issues with which we are currently faced. Just as the ultimate answer for solving the numerous difficulties facing humankind lies in the raising of our society's collective consciousness, the most desirable and permanent solution to the difficult times the honey bee is now experiencing also lies in the bee's evolutionary process, through the development of resistance to disease and parasitic pests. The goal of raising humanity's collective consciousness requires the raising of each individual's consciousness to the point where enough of us evolve to affect society as a whole. This is not something that can be forced or imposed upon individuals. It is a responsibility each of us must choose to take upon ourselves in our own time, when we are ready. So it is with the honey bee that the evolutionary process must take place one hive at a time. Just as with us humans, the bee creates its own future with each seemingly insignificant daily decision and activity..."

Ross Conrad, Natural Beekeeping

Workers and Queen

In August 2007 we volunteered to work at Mark Robar's booth at the Washington County Fair. We met so many wonderful people during the two days we were there! But, I must confess, it was disheartening to learn that most of the visitors we spoke with did not know the difference between a honeybee, a yellow jacket, a wasp, or a hornet. (Where was everyone during 4th grade science class, we wondered?!) We tried to assure them the aggressive invaders at their picnics were most likely NOT honeybees. Mark had arranged displays so fairgoers visiting his booth were able to view live bees in a glass observation hive, as well as photos of worker bees in the various stages of their development, and of the queen bee.

With our experience at the fairgrounds in mind, I thought a proper photo of bees ought to be included on this blog. The very large orange-colored bee at the center is the queen, those around her are worker bees.  

To feed or not?

It was beautifully sunny today with clear, azure skies. The temperature nearly reached 50 degrees, but there was a blustery wind, so it felt colder. Kite-flying weather, I thought. 

Or the ideal day to begin drying linens on the clothesline again. But I resisted the temptation: we could see our bees were taking cleansing flights. Honey bees, fastidious creatures that they are, won't defecate in the hive. So, at the first sign of dry weather above 45 degrees, they're out, using our gardens to relieve themselves. There's no harm in it, really, other than the few small mustard-colored stains that will never again wash out of the fabrics drying on the line.

Best to wait.

Tomorrow is predicted to be another fine day for the time of year. We've been debating whether or not to lay a pollen patty across the frames at the top of the hive. Also, to feed or not? There is debate about this, like everything else in beekeeping. Every beekeeper will offer different advice, or none. And now many of us feel concerned about the contents of the various commercially produced patties, after the tainted pet food disasters of 2006.

We want to do our best to ensure the hive begins to grow and thrive again. It's still awhile yet before plants will be available for pollination, and before nectar will be available.

To put that pollen patty in? To feed or not? I'll read some more this evening and decide by the morning.

Haagen-Dazs Reserve: Hawaiian Lehua Honey & Sweet Cream Ice Cream

Celeste and Ed are local beekeepers. They had a beautiful honey in 2007 that we really enjoyed. Last summer we savored it over goat cheese on Ryvita crackers. We're still trying to imagine what plants their bees pollinated because the honey was very light, but not too sweet, and had the most amazing mint finish to its flavor. Much like wine is influenced by the grapes used, as well as the climate, soil, and weather conditions in which they are grown, the color and taste of honey is influenced by the plants the bees visit and the time of year in which the honey is extracted from the hive.

This morning, Celeste forwarded an email from Haagen-Dazs promoting one of their Reserve ice creams, Hawaiian Lehua Honey & Sweet Cream:

Flavor notes--Rich, sumptuous waves of cream mingled with evocative glimpses of tropical honey. The rare and delicate texture of the Lehua honey is entirely different from any honey you've ever tasted.

Inspiration--Lehua honey comes from the remote volcanic slopes of Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii. There, honeybees gather nectar from the Ohia tree's fragrant Lehua blossoms. These beautiful red flowers are the unique flavor source for this rare, amber honey.

Food pairings--Serve on a freshly baked Belgian waffle, then try to resist the aroma of the warm waffle mingling with the cool ice cream and tropical honey.

Wine pairings--A rich and balanced Sauternes from France.

Don't race off to the shops just yet: this flavor is available only in Hawaii, according to the company's website.

Food pairings? Wine pairings? I laughed a bit when I read the copy. We've enjoyed our annual visits to the vineyards of Northern Virginia with our dear friends, Shawn Ann and Patrick, for nearly ten years. The wine tasting notes are very similar in tone and content to this press release. Evidently that was the intention on the part of the copywriters since the ice cream line is labeled Reserve, after all. It's a bit precious and pretentious to me. It certainly left me wondering what, or whether, the beekeepers of the Big Island think about it. But no matter. I'm sure it's wholesome and heavenly-tasting. I hope the consumers of Hawaii will truly enjoy it!