Off The Grid News Better Ideas For Off The Grid Living

Nothing’s worse than watching pests munch through your garden like it was planted for them. While we try to avoid pesticide use through companion planting and attracting natural predators, sometimes it’s not enough and we need a targeted and limited application of ...

European scientists say they have discovered the problem behind the declining honeybee population, and pesticides seem to be the culprit. The study by the journal Ecology Letters states that “extended periods of stress” can cause the failure of a bee ...

Beekeepers and citrus growers in Florida are butting heads over the use of pesticides. The reason: The increased usage of pesticides may be contributing to millions of bee deaths each year. Citrus growers, though, say they need the pesticides to ...

Pesticide warning labels to help save the bees finally have been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. While the EPA has taken a small step in the right direction, it may not be enough to save the drastically shrinking honeybee ...

The European Union (EU) has passed a two-year “precautionary” ban on bee-killing chemical pesticides. The neonicotinoids ban is slated to begin on Dec. 1. The decision by the European Commission – the executive body of the EU — mirrors similar ...

We are deep in the heart of farm country around these parts. With corn fields surrounding our property, it’s very hard to grow food without pesticides creeping in, but still we try. But when the trees we planted on our ...

Since 1998, scientists, conservationists, and farmers have noticed an alarming trend. European honeybee populations are declining at rapid rates. Researchers believe several factors are at play here: viruses spread through the colonies, loss of habitat, migratory habits, and increased pesticide ...

Diatomaceous earth, or DE, is substance that has been around for literally millions of years. In terms of human history, DE has been used for thousands of years. In the US, its usefulness in the home, garden, and on the ...

Welcome back to my bi-weekly rant on the ever-popular and increasingly necessary Off the Grid site. I’d like to take a moment to thank Bill, Brian, Jeramy, Hanne, and the rest of the crew here at OTG for creating and ...

Last time I talked about beneficial birds for use in gardening. Now let’s look at beneficial insects – more specifically, bees. Before you get out your fly swatter, you may want to reconsider your attitude toward this necessary element of ...