Category Archives: Bee Yards

Nuns of honey

Posted on February 7, 2019 by

I bumped into this photo a few days ago when I was writing an article for Deutches Bienen Journal, Germany’s beekeeping magazine. I was trying to picture sisters at a convent in Quebec, tending their hives in the 1920s. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Yards, Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, History, People | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Year of Backyard Beekeeping

Posted on December 28, 2018 by

Regular readers of this blog know that I once kept hundreds of hives in Florida and Saskatchewan. That was a long time ago. Now that I’m all grown up, I’ve got just two colonies in my Calgary backyard. Much more … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Yards, Beekeeping, Honey | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Expecting the unexpected

Posted on August 3, 2018 by

For the past two days, I described how we might predict a future honey flow. I mentioned how difficult soothsaying can be yet I went on to say that experience and a tool like a scale hive can help us … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Yards, Beekeeping, Climate, Commercial Beekeeping | Tagged , | 14 Comments

The Perfect Place for Bees

Posted on April 27, 2018 by

An easy way to intimidate a new beekeeper is to read the list of requirements for a perfect apiary.  Here’s my list. It’s not comprehensive. But even as a starter, it’s menacing: Your bees should be: In partial shade: avoid … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Yards, Beekeeping, Humour | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Nuisance-free beekeeping

Posted on March 2, 2018 by

Tired of irritating your neighbours with your pesky bees? Help is on the way. A very bright professor at Oregon State, Andony Melathopoulos, has co-authored a guide which you should read:  Residential Beekeeping: Best-practice guidelines for nuisance-free beekeeping in Oregon.   … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Yards, Beekeeping, Books, Outreach | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Keeping the Cougars out of your Bee Yard

Posted on June 24, 2017 by

Ever been chased by a mountain lion? How about a cougar, panther, or puma? Me neither, but I’ve probably passed within metres of all four. (I’m told that they’re all the same species – Puma concolor.) A new study from … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Yards, Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Urban Beekeeping Mug

Posted on June 19, 2017 by

Yesterday, Father’s Day, my family surprised me with this homemade mug. They had conspired to co-create this bit of art for the past few days. I heard the hushed tones and I saw people and things quickly disappear when I … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Yards, Beekeeping | Tagged , | 9 Comments

Ending the Senseless Roadside Carnage (of bugs)

Posted on November 29, 2016 by

Bugs impact windshields from time to time. You’ve scraped off the gooey result. A lovely dégustation if there’s ever been one.  Placing a bee yard near a busy road makes you an accessory to the beeslaughter of millions. You are … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Yards, Ecology, Humour, Science, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

The Synthetic Apiary

Posted on October 7, 2016 by

Well, this is weird. The video at the end of this link is great, but the whole concept is weird. It’s an artificial, synthetic apiary. I’ll rank it with the Flow(TM)Hive for a reason that will become apparent in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Yards, Culture, or lack thereof, Save the Bees, Strange, Odd Stuff, Tools and Gadgets | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Brood in Front of the Hive?!?

Posted on September 24, 2016 by

I’m continuing with the series of questions which I overheard at a bee meeting a few days ago. Today, it’s dead brood. Here are those questions: My honey isn’t capped. What should I do with it? (I heard that one … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Bee Yards, Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests, Pesticides, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments