Skip to main content

You have checked the maple blooms to see that they are developing, so the next project is to locate an American Holly and look down into its leaves for that small white dot. The small white dot will turn into a small white fragrant flower; however, a sharp decline will turn it black as they …

Community support is the bedrock of local journalism. If you aren't already among our loyal subscribers, please consider supporting our important work of covering Aiken County and beyond.

One of the biggest events in the bee industry is going to start in California — almond pollination. Remember from earlier writings it took 3,600 semi-trucks to transport the bees for the almond pollination. The bees are wondering why they are doing this.  Over 80 percent of the almonds are …

The Christmas parties are over and new honey dishes were explored and generally good times were had by all. Now starts the pipedreams and how the new year is going to be. Dreams of how the honey flow will be for the new year. In the dream, mites and pests will be eliminated and we will win.

This is the time of the year to register with local beekeeping associations for bee classes. Yes, there is a fee but the funds are all returned with attendance to classes and books. Bees will be available for purchase through the clubs at a much-reduced price rather than going to the supplie…

The state fair is over, and the honey and hive products have been judged and ribbons awarded. Then untold numbers who visited the observation hive have identified the queen. The bee booth remains to be the most visited booth at the fair by the fair staff and now you will have to wait until n…

In last month’s article, we mentioned that goldenrod would soon be blooming. Upon inspection of undisturbed land such as powerlines, you will note that there is a large quantity of short goldenrod flowering. If you take the time to observe the blooms, you will see numbers of native pollinato…

Much changes for the better when pets are brought into a household. When a pet joins the family, members now have a companion to enthusiastically greet them when they return home from work or school.

Wood floors are coveted for a number of reasons, not the least of which is their aesthetic appeal. Many people prefer wood flooring because dust and dirt do not become trapped as they would in carpet fibers, seemingly making wood flooring easy to clean.

Homeowners’ fasciation with a lush, green lawn is something that has developed over time and is still “growing” strong. According to a 2019 survey conducted on behalf of the National Association of Landscape Professionals, 81% of all Americans had lawns and 79% said a lawn is an important fe…

Plants can be beautiful additions to a home and provide a natural way to filter interior air. Many homeowners prefer to enhance their spaces with greenery and various flowers. Though that’s a great way to design a home’s interior, pet owners must exercise caution with plants to safeguard the…

Summer vacations from school may be cherished by youngsters. But parents are often scrambling to find ways to fill kids’ days over the course of summer vacations.

Are the beekeepers not wearing a veil to protect their eyes as we’ve always been trained? You need to remember if you get stung in the eye, you will probably lose sight, and I do know of a man earlier this summer in a greenhouse environment where a bee got behind his glasses and it got under…

Water is essential to cleaning, but it can be an even more powerful asset when there is great force behind it. This is the concept behind pressure washers, which are tools that spray water at high pressure in order to clean an assortment of surfaces.

Mold is a type of fungi that is found both indoors and outdoors. When mold grows inside, the health of people who spend time in the home or business where it grows can be in jeopardy.

Homes are filled with many items that are relatively harmless to people but can be quite dangerous to pets if ingested or inhaled. Much in the way new parents must baby-proof a home to keep youngsters safe, the same level of concern should be applied to assessing the home, garage and yard fo…

A school experience goes beyond lessons learned in the classroom. Part of what helps shape well-rounded students are the skills they sharpen and memories they make while engaging in extracurricular activities. Extracurricular involvement shows that students can stick with activities for exte…

Water quality is not something people think about all that much, especially in developed nations. Though it can be easy to take water quality for granted in countries with ample regulation and sophisticated filtering systems, there are times when anyone, regardless of where they live, should…

“The early bird gets the worm” is a well-known English proverb that historians trace all the way back to the 1600s. Though the words might first have been popularized hundreds of years ago, they remain as true today as they were then, particularly in regard to holiday shopping.

Expecting parents process a barrage of information as they prepare for the day their child is born. No matter how many details they gather from doctors, their own research and individuals who have blazed parenting paths before them, there are still plenty of things to learn on the job.

Lazy days of summer are tough on the bees as pollen and nectar are in very short supply. We have very little in bloom for the bees but sometimes supplemental feeding may be a necessity. Pollen substitutes can be fed in a variety of ways. Pollen is necessary for brood production which is need…