Category Archives: Beekeeping
Package Bee Population
Yesterday, I wrote about bee populations in a hive that starts as a package. The original bees slowly die while the number of new bees, arising from eggs laid by the package’s queen, rapidly increases. In yesterday’s example, the immigrant … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Queens, Science
Tagged Florida, package bees, queenless hives, Saskatchewan
9 Comments
A Depleted Home
A few days ago, a friend invited me to visit her bees. In one part of her apiary, there were three hives, neatly lined, single-storey. These hives had started the season as packages five weeks earlier. Two were excellent. They … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Queens
Tagged Alberta, package bees, pollen substitutes, queenless hives, Tolstoy
7 Comments
Ron on PolliNation!
I’m so excited to share a link to PolliNation, the fantastic podcast about . . . Pollination! This podcast episode features the show’s host in conversation with me! Dr Andony Melathopoulos, the bee scientist running The PolliNation Podcast, invited me … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Friends, Outreach, Pollination
Tagged Andony Melathopoulos, podcast, Pollination
2 Comments
Package Hive Update
Three weeks ago, we installed two packages in our backyard. We started with mostly new equipment, though we had six drawn, white-comb, deep frames for the bees to nest in right away. I considered using 100% foundation and letting the … Continue reading
Psst. Wanna make some money?
Most hobby beekeepers keep bees for fun, not profit. But almost every beekeeper whom I’ve ever met tells me that, well, it would be nice to hear the cash register jingle once in a while. Bird-watchers or golfers rarely expect … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Books, Commercial Beekeeping
Tagged bee course, economics, Money from Honey, teaching beekeeping
16 Comments
First day with the bees
On Friday evening, just after the sun had set, we installed two packages of bees. Earlier in the day, we arranged six drawn-out deep brood frames (purchased from Scandia Honey, a very reputable bee farm in our area), two new … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping
Tagged beginning beekeeping, Calgary, packages, pollen, urban beekeeping
7 Comments
Welcoming some new friends
The bees arrived. It was getting late. I was getting anxious. But just after the sun settled for the night, my friend Mark arrived with our two packages. He brought us 13,637 worker bees and two queens. We counted them. … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Tools and Gadgets
Tagged Calgary, hive equipment, package bees, urban beekeeping
12 Comments
The Perfect Place for Bees
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
Pollen Specks
Yesterday, I saw the first pollen of the year carried by bees in our area. It’s almost May! Local bees have been without fresh pollen for over six months. The pollen specks which I saw were pitifully specky. If you … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Climate, Ecology, Honey Plants
Tagged Andony Melathopoulos, crocus, pollen, Spring, willow
6 Comments
Ask Three ‘Experts’ (and get six answers)
A few days ago, three long-time beekeepers were asked to sit on a panel and take bee-management questions from a large audience of (mostly) younger, newer beekeepers. The three beekeepers were all commercial beekeepers or had run commercial outfits. Altogether, … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Friends, Outreach
Tagged Allen Dick, beginning beekeeping, Calgary Bee Club, Neil Bertram
10 Comments
