Simply Bee

5 Reasons to Leave the Leaves

Fall is officially upon us, and with the changing colors and the falling leaves come the rakes and giant plastic bags. But wait! Fall lawn care can be a real drag – but what if I told you it’s actually better to skip the task altogether?! That’s right – Mother Earth sheds her leaves not only to prepare the trees for winter, but also the many animals in nature. For example, many animals use leaves…

How Do You Know If The Honey You’re Buying Is Real?

I recently wrote an article about the healing benefits of honey. But before you head down to the grocery store to buy some of this liquid gold, make sure it’s real honey. That’s right, just because it’s in a jar that’s labeled honey doesn’t mean it’s real honey collected from your local beekeeper (or, even someone’s local beekeeper). It’s been officially established by the Food and Drug…

7 Healing Benefits of Propolis

Propolis: a mysterious, sticky substance with amazing healing power. Propolis is an ancient healer that has been used for centuries by Greeks, Egyptians, and more. In the Western world, the benefits and healing powers of propolis are becoming more commonly explored. The healing benefits of propolis can be applied to something simple like a holistic salve to heal a cut, to powerful tinctures that…

5 Ways Monocultures Are Bad For The Planet

Taking the ‘culture’ out of Agriculture Monocultures: you’ve probably seen them. They account for the majority of those squares you see on the ground when flying in an airplane. But monocultures are more than agricultural art: they are the crux of agricultural production in the United States. Interestingly enough, though, they could simultaneously prove to be the downfall of the agricultural…

The Healing Benefits of Honey

Honey has been regarded as a sweet treat for thousands of years. But, honey’s nutrient and vitamin dense makeup also makes it a great remedy for some common issues. So, what is honey? Honey is collected nectar that is stored, transported, and regurgitated by bees in the hive. Because of the multiple (natural) refining processes that honey goes through before collection by a beekeeper, honey can…

4 Reasons to Get Rid of Your Lawn

Since the 1950’s, lawns have become engrained in American tradition – a rolling lawn is about as American as the white picket fence it sits behind. But lawns can actually be quite taxing on the environment – from pollution to dissolution of habitats for wildlife. This article will explore the ramifications of lawns and the care they require – and how to mitigate the effects while still enjoying…

A Guide to Backyard Pollinators

How to attract and welcome pollinators into your yard This blog is dedicated to environmental activism, primarily focused on the protection of pollinators. Most of the articles talk about the importance of these pollinators with a focus on honeybees. But, bees aren’t the only pollinators responsible for the pollination of over 75% of our food sources and flowering plants or the $200 globally in…

How Does Your Garden Grow?

How to plant a pollinator-friendly garden or yard. We’ve all heard that bees are declining at rapid rates, and that many environmental stressors (including neonicotinoid pesticides) are the culprit. Neonics play a particularly integral role in the collapse of bees because they make the bees more susceptible to these environmental stressors that they are often otherwise immune to. Some of these…