That's one reason Agricultural Research Service scientists are looking for solutions to the problem. Currently, there's no standard measure for nuisance livestock odors, nor are there scientific tools to determine when odors reach eye-watering levels. The results of the research may lead to improved farm management techniques to keep a smelly problem in check. Hardworking honeybees might need the farmer's help to get a varied diet containing all the proteins, vitamins, minerals, fats and carbohydrates necessary for good bee health. Nectar supplies carbohydrates or sugars.
Pollen supplies everything else.
But sunflower pollen, one of the familiar honeybee's favorite foods, doesn't provide enough protein, according to tests by Agricultural Research Service scientists. High crop yields depend on having healthy, effective pollinators, but bees that work only in sunflower fields are likely to become undernourished. Sunflower growers can help bees get the mix of nutrients they need by planting small areas of other crops such as canola near sunflower fields. Or they can let weeds and wildflowers grow along field edges, beside ditches or among rock outcroppings. A chemical in peaches could become an alternative to methyl bromide for controlling certain soil-dwelling pathogens.