Raspberry Moon Skin Therapy

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Nature

All About the Bees

Our last Ladies Lunch and Learn was all about the Bees, Monarchs and Honey in your Skincare. Susan from The Carolina Honey Bee graciously talked about bees and all the goodness that they do for us. Bees are the best of the pollinators and are such busy little guys.

Bees have been on the decline for several reason:

  • Pesticides like Neonicotinoids
  • Varroa Mites –  is a type of tick that compresses the immune system of the bee.
  • Long Travel pollinating only 1 crop at any given time.

Poor bees have a hard job pollinating on commercial farms. Every year thousands of bees are transported by the tractor trailer loads to pollinate almonds in California. Can you imagine eating the same food for days and weeks at a time? Well that’s what happens to bees on the journey. All they have for acres and acres are almonds. It would greatly help if the almond growers planted wildflowers or something else so that the bees have some variety.

After the almonds they will travel to Washington State to pollinate the apples and will eventually go to Maine to pollinate the blueberries. This is very hard on the bees but is a very lucrative business for the bee keepers. They receive about $200/ hive and there are about 400 hives/tractor trailer load.

Dandelions are bees first food!

What are some things that we can do to help support bees:

  • Leave those dandelions, clover and golden rod in your yard.
  • Avoid Pesticides like neonicotinoid and even Seven Dust

Neonics are systemic pesticides. Unlike contact pesticides, which remain on the surface of the treated foliage, systemics are taken up by the plant and transported to all the tissues (leaves, flowers, roots and stems, as well as pollen and nectar).

  • Plant native plants that attract pollinators – here is a list of plants  recommended by the Master Gardener Program. To purchase plants, check out their Annual Plant Sale  on Saturday, April 30, 2016.
  • Learn how to attract native pollinators at Xerces.
  • Plant a Bee Garden. Honeybee Conservancy has some great info!
3 Generations of Bee Keepers! Courtesy of The Carolina Honey Bee.
  • Become a Hobby Bee Keeper. If you want to learn more about bee keeping be sure to check out Susan with Carolina Honeybee.
  • And most importantly BUY LOCAL HONEY!  Local honey is raw and still has good stuff in it. Grocery store honey has been pasteurized to make it shelf stable.

Be sure to check out the blog post about the Monarchs and Honey in Your Skincare.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monarch Butterflies and All Their Glory

I love butterflies and was so excited when Polly, a graduate from The Clemson Master Garden Program came to speak to my February Ladies Lunch at Learn about Monarchs, their plight and what we can do to help.

 

Flight path of the Monarchs

Monarch Butterflies have such an interesting life cycle.  As we were having our Lunch and Learn in February, the Monarchs were already starting the journey North from the oyamel fir forest in Michoacan, Mexico.  This is the only place that the Monarchs wait over the winter and after they reproduce, they will be begin a 3,000+ mile trek North.

 

They will lay their eggs on their way North in the Midwest and then will die 2 to 6 weeks later. The only plant the female will lay her eggs are in milk weed plants! A butterfly can lay up to 400 eggs or more in 1 day. There is a severe shortage of milkweed plants and once the larvae hatch if they don’t have enough milkweed they will die. The larvae will then form a chrysalis and will emerge as a butterfly less than 1 month from the time their mom laid her eggs. The moms may live between 2-6 weeks longer before they die. In 30 days these eggs will have turned into butterflies and will begin the next leg of their journey North. There will be 3 generations born and the 4th generation will be the butterflies that make their way ALL the way back to Mexico! How crazy is that? They have a wicked GPS system!

Monarch Life Cycle

The life span of the Monarch depends on when it is born and if they will be the migratory butterfly that will eventually fly back to Mexico. The Monarchs will end up back in Mexico right around the time of Dia de los Muertos. “According to local legend, the Monarch butterflies arriving in Mexico at this time of the year are believed to be the souls of the deceased returning to earth.”

 

Threats to the Monarchs:

  • Not enough milkweed to lay their eggs on. There are 2 kinds of milkweed: Common Milkweed which is very invasive and Swap Milkweed which is easier to maintain. There is a push to turn America’s Roadsides into pollinator heaven! I think this is a fabulous idea! It would cut down on mowing and it will allow our pollinators and other a natures beautiful species to flourish. There are approximately 17 MILLION ACRES of roadsides in the US. Why not take do something productive with it!?
  • Pesticides
  • Extreme Weather
  • Crop Monocultures – the planting of the same species for acres. (Same issue that our bees have)
  • Illegal Logging in Mexico – Thankfully illegal logging is on the decline.  According to SciDev.Net, due to “decade-long financial support from Mexican and international philanthropists and businesses to create local alternative income generation and employment”, it says. Schemes such as community tree nurseries, the growing ecotourism sector and community surveillance of illegal logging have generated new sources of income for local people.
Oyamel fir forest in Michoacan, Mexico

Thankfully there has been a rise in the number of monarchs but we still have a ways to go:

  • 2012 to 2013 there were only about 1.4 acres of Monarch!
  • 2014 there were 2.8 acres
  • 2015 10 acres!

What can you do to help? Glad you asked! ;)

  • Plant Milkweed – The Fish and Wildlife entered into a partnership with two private conservation groups, the National Wildlife Federation and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, to grow milkweed like crazy across the country in the hopes of saving as many monarchs as possible. The plan is to make the plant widely available at nurseries. Here is a great link about how individuals can help by receiving free milkweed plants as well as a grant that can be earned for larger spaces! There is also a program for schools and nonprofits. Don’t have a yard? No problem, here are some great container ideas. There are several types of milkweed, check out Joyful Butterfly for some great ideas.

 

Monarch caterpillar on milkweed
  • Create a Wildlife Habitat in your own yard – this doesn’t have to be complicated nor does it have to be a large space. Just be mindful of what you are doing. Plant flowers for all stages of Monarch (and other pollinator) life span. Some great options are Lantana, Mexican Sunflowers, Zinna, Coneflowers, Phlox, and Butterfly Bush just to name a few.
  • Stop using pesticides
  • Encourage your friends, neighbors, schools, NGOs and parks to get on board

 

Great Websites to check out:

Monarch Watch 

Monarch Butterfly Gardening

Annual Cycle

Learn About Monarchs

Eco-Exchange

South Carolina Wildlife Federation

 

Great resources for Teachers:

Monarch Butterfly Journey North

Forest Service

MonarchLive

University of Minnesota

MonarchWatch

 

Bees and Butterflies in Your Garden, Honey in Your Skincare, Ladies Lunch and Learn Tea

Bees and Butterflies Lunch and Learn

Saturday, February 27th from 11 am – 130 pm

At Bocca Pure Italian, 2660 Poinsett Hwy, Greenville, South Carolina 29609.

The cost is $30, which includes your lunch. Net proceeds will go to the Clemson Master Gardener Program.

We’re continuing our series of Lunch and Learn Teas, and this one is all about Bees and Pollinators. Reserve your spot now (seating is limited!) and learn from several amazing ladies how to encourage bees and pollinators in your yard and help them thrive!

I have been wanting to do this event for a year! Susan with The Carolina Honey Bee came to speak to my ladies group — Women’s Social Business Group — a few years ago and I just loved it! Who knew the bees did all this great work? Anyhow, I decided to do this whole Lunch and Learn on bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Just in time to get ready for spring. So whether you are a gardener, an admirer of nature, have a black thumb (like me) or just want to come hang out with some freaking amazing ladies, please book your space today.

Purchase Your Ticket

The Topics

An Intro to Honey Bees

HoneybeeSusan Gardner an avid honey bee enthusiast and owner/ operator of The Carolina Honey Bee Company in Travelers Rest, SC. Susan is going to be talking to us about all different kinds of bees; what honey bees need to thrive and what we can do to help.

In addition to running The Carolina Honey Bee Company, Susan’s beekeeping background includes her personal bee hives which she manages at home on her farm, and her commercial hives located throughout Greenville County. She is proficient in creamed and infused honey varieties as well as byproducts of the bee hive. Susan lives on a farm in Simpsonville, SC raising and showing her dogs and horses with husband, James, and youngest son, Taylor. Her daughter, Morgan, and son, Cutter, are both enrolled in college in Clemson and Columbia.

Monarchs and their Plight

Monarch ButterflyFaye Legros, a Master Gardener from the Clemson Master Gardener Program will tell us all about Monarch Butterflies: How to recognize a monarch, the life cycles of the monarch, attracting monarchs, their migration, their decline and reasons for, and what we can do to help. The speaker will also share some of her personal experiences raising them.

Honey for Skincare

Last but not least I will be doing a presentation on using honey in skincare mask preparation and the steps to creating a great at home facial. And I’ll have recipe cards for masks you can do at home.

Lunch Menu from the fabulous Horacio at Bocca Italian

There are 3 options to choose from:

  • Tomato Basil Soup with Caesar Salad, your choice of Grilled Salmon or Chicken
  • Lasagna Bolognese
  • Almond Crusted Basa Fish with sautéed spinach and pasta

All entrees will come with rolls and Tiramisu for dessert. Salad will come with Lasagna and Fish. Please specify your choice when you purchase your ticket.

If you have any special dietary requirements please let me know beforehand to make it easier on the Kitchen.

If you know anyone that would be interested in coming to this event please feel free to share! The more the merrier!

Purchase Your Ticket