Honey Bee Varroa Mite Solution

Will Hypoaspis miles mites eat the bee mites? The mite is used in nurseries and greenhouses to protect plants from predatory insects. They have been used to control the fungus gnat and thrip pupae and for black vine weevil control. They have also been used by pet suppliers to control crab mites, snake mites and rat mites. Now they are being investigated for control of varroa mite in honey bees. So far, the news is very promising.  Where the Hypoaspis miles mites are introduced the bee behavior changes. They go towards these mites. They want the H. Mite on them.  Parts of varroa mites are found littering the sticky board after the H. mite is introduced. No whole varroa mites, just bits and pieces of varroa mites are found after introducing the Hypoaspis miles mites. Also when comparing the chemical controlled hives with the Hypoaspis hives, the Hypoaspis hives were more hygenic, more vigorous and produced more honey than the chemical controlled hives. The varroa mite was not obliterated in the bio controlled hive but was no longer a problem for the bees. (This H. mite may also control the small hive beetle.) Watch this video to learn more!

Meditation Heals Us All

Recently, I had to remind myself of the need to connect with spirit on a more intimate level as I had gotten out of the habit of daily meditation. 

Meditation/prayer is the most powerful healing tool we have.  It is always available. It is affordable. (Unlike some other healing modalities.) It improves all aspects of our lives.

Additionally, improvement of ourself, and expanding our awareness of the spiritual world is an activity that improves humanity as a whole, due to the spiritual fact that we are all interconnected.

We must not get so busy in day to day external life that we forget to spend time in mediation or prayer. All of us depend on the spiritual growth of each other.  

Rudolph Steiner said, "The welfare and misfortune of the individual is intimately bound up with the welfare or misfortune of the whole world."   (Rudolph Steiner was the creator of Waldorf schools, Anthroposophical medicine and Biodynamic agriculture.)

How can  your meditation/prayer help?

There is a general feeling of despair amongst folks regarding the state of affairs on this planet. Some people feel hopeless and do not think they have the ability to effect the world.  If you are one of these people, please consider meditation/prayer as a method to help. Work on improving yourself. Set aside time each day to meditate/pray. Even 5 minutes will help. Be quiet and contemplative. Take time each day to contemplate your own actions, behaviors, thoughts and feelings. Watch yourself as if you were watching a stranger.  Watch how you interact with the rest of the world. Do not criticize yourself, but simply note what needs to be improved upon and become the best person you can be. The more of us that do this , the better things become. Do not despair. You have a powerful tool that you can use right now.

Please share some of your favorite books or websites for spiritual growth. I mentioned the Christian Mystic, Rudolph Steiner above. He has many wonderful books for the dedicated spiritual investigator. One of my favorite books of his is "How to Know Higher Worlds". 

Chickweed is Everywhere

Common chickweed is a spring green that grows in many parts of the world. It is abundant here in the Willamette Valley. It makes a nice protective blanket for bare soil in my garden each spring. This herbaceous mat protects the soil from being damaged by the continuous spring rain in our region. Although it can be found growing all through-out the year, spring is when it really shines and as one of the first flowering plants is much  appreciated by myself and the bees. This is when you get lush mats of it covering the bare soil.

Flowers: The latin name Stellaria media is in honor of its tiny, white, star-shaped flowers.

Leaves & Stems: The opposite leaves are oval shaped with pointed tips. The delicate stems have a single thin line of white hairs. This single line of hairs is an indication that you have the species Stellaria media rather than one of its relatives.

Habitat: Likes lush soil and is most commonly found in your garden. However it will grow in other areas, although there are other species that often grow in these other areas that look very similar. You will see Stellaria growing in gardens, pastures, lawns, cultivated fields, deciduous forests and barren areas.

Growth habits: Low growing, often makes an intertwined mat or clump of greens.

Edibility: The leafy parts are fairly good used fresh or they can be added to a soup, put in a smoothie, or a casserole. I find Chickweed is pleasant to eat and makes a nice addition to a salad. It is delicate and best eaten fresh. There is a hairy chickweed, that has fuzzy leaves and is not so pleasant on the tongue. It looks similar to Stellaria media. If you accidentally collect it, most people find the texture unpleasant on the tongue. It is actually a different Genus. It is Cerastium viscosum. It is however in the same family, called the Pink family or Caryophyllaceae family. It is eaten also but always cooked to decrease the hair irritation. I just don't bother eating it myself.

Herbal Medicine: This plant is soothing and cooling. The aerial parts are used internally as a demulcent to soothe the gastrointestinal system and as a diuretic. Externally it is crushed or chewed to make a spit poultice for wounds, burns, insect bites, hemorrhoids, and other various skin irritations. Some herbalists have found chickweed will decrease the size of cysts.