Nations approve first work plan, budget for Intergovernmental
Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Antalya, Turkey, December 14, 2013 – The groundbreaking Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) today agreed to develop a set of assessments on pollination and food production, land degradation and invasive species aimed at providing policymakers with the tools to tackle pressing environmental challenges.
Around 400 delegates …
Demand for California Almonds remains strong. Shipments for the month of November exceeded prior year by nearly 8%. Year-to-date, shipments continue to run ahead of last year at 7.4%.
Commitments for November rose by 149 million lbs., putting the 2013 California almond supply at 57% shipped and committed. The most recent estimates peg the 2013 California almond crop between 1.95 and …
(Courtesy of Matt Shipman, North Carolina State News and Information)
From tomatoes to pumpkins, most fruit and vegetable crops rely on pollination by bees and other insect species – and the future of many of those species is uncertain. Now researchers from North Carolina State University are proposing a set of guidelines for assessing the performance of pollinator species in order …
Courtesy Joli Winer, editor The Northeastern Kansas Bee Buzzer
Tips for December
Renew your Bee Association membership
Finish those things you procrastinated about earlier this fall: entrance reducers, combining weak colonies, feeding light colonies.
Monitor hives for flight on warm days (sunny and above 50 degrees) and check for dead-outs throughout the winter.
Keep bricks or rocks on your lids to prevent the wind from …