Category Archives: Bee Biology
95th Birthday for “The Man Who Made Killer Bees”
This week, we should celebrate Warwick Estevam Kerr, the man who made the killer bees. September 9th is his 95th birthday. Just like his bees, Kerr comes from hot, tropical Brazil. And just like his bees, Dr Kerr has been … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Genetics, People, Science, Uncategorized
Tagged Africanized honey bees, AHB, Brazil, Melipona, Native Bees, Warwick Kerr
8 Comments
I’m Not a Doctor, but…
An acquaintance – someone active in our 400-member Calgary Bee Club – reported that he had an allergic reaction to a sting. He’s been keeping bees quite a few years and he’s had dozens (perhaps hundreds) of stings. Then, a … Continue reading
Posted in Apitherapy, Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Friends
Tagged allergic reactions, bee stings, Calgary Bee Club
16 Comments
The Lazy Bees
A friend wanted to name his honey farm The Lazy Bee Apiaries. He even made the proper brand (LBA) for marking his frames and rims. But other beekeepers (including me) told him that bees aren’t lazy. Sometimes beekeepers are a … Continue reading
Better Bees
Hungary, where I am today, has a long beekeeping history. Honey bees have been part of the ecology for thousands of years. Here, they are indigenous species whereas in the Americas (and Australia, New Zealand, and much of Asia), the … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Climate, Culture, or lack thereof, Ecology, Genetics, Science
Tagged bee races, black bees, Carniolan honey bees, Galtee Queen Breeding, Hungary, Ireland
2 Comments
Moving the Bees
Yesterday, I wrote about nuking the bees. Today, it’s moving the bees. My nuc started out on my daughter’s farm, 130 kilometres east of my home in Calgary. That’s over an hour’s drive, out on the prairie, away from the … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Hives and Combs, Tools and Gadgets
Tagged Alberta, moving bees, nuc, wasps
6 Comments
Long Live the New Queen
Spring is typical requeening season. Sometimes you do it yourself; other times, the bees swarm or supersede. A young queen is the result. When a queen is failing, you’re told: Kill the old queen and replace her. Pretty straight forward, … Continue reading
Fishing Bait That Eats Plastic
Hundreds of diseases and pests attack honey bees. One of the oldest known hive invaders is the wax moth. Aristotle had trouble keeping them out of his hives so maybe you do, too. Wax moths come in two flavours – … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests, Science, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged beeswax, environment, plastics, wax moths
9 Comments
The Place to Pair (and pair and pair) with a Bee?
Maybe I should have written this blog in Latin. When I was a kid, I saw a bee biology book where the author switched to Latin when he got to the part about how queens and drones get together to make … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, History, Queens, Science
Tagged Cornell University, drones, eb white, Lawrence Connor, Norman Gary, queen breeding, Wicwas Press
7 Comments
First View of a Bee’s Innards
Today’s birthdays include two notables whom you’ve likely heard of (Lincoln and Darwin, both born on the same day in 1809), and one luminary you’ve perhaps not encountered: Jan Swammerdam (1637-1680), also born on February 12. Though we have Darwin … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Culture, or lack thereof, History, People
Tagged bee anatomy, Jan Swammerdam, microscopy
6 Comments
Bad Beekeeping Blog 