Category Archives: Beekeeping
International Workers’ Day
My home city of Calgary celebrated May Day (International Workers’ Day) by welcoming 1,176,334 foreign workers into our community last night, doubling our population. 196 packages of worker bees had arrived. A swarm of Calgary beekeepers greeted the immigrants. (The … 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
Have These Kids Found a Way to Kill Varroa?
I am a skeptic when it comes to ‘miracle’ cures to fight varroa. I think that the various expensive heat/sauna systems are a waste of time and money. A lot of natural treatments (icing/powdered sugar; essential oils; screened bottoms) are … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests, Save the Bees, Science, Tools and Gadgets
Tagged crowd-funding, First Lego Competition, varroa mites
14 Comments
Daffodils in December?
Cherry trees in Washington bloom around April March first. Things are changing. Erik, a beekeeper/writer/blogger in northern Virginia keeps a nice online calendar showing flowering dates in his neighbourhood. It’s only a couple of years old so it just gives … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Climate, Honey Plants
Tagged Calgary, cherry, climate change, daffodils, dandelions
7 Comments
Beekeepers Come; Beekeepers Go
Between 45% and 75% of British beekeepers are newbies – in their first four years. Only 10% have been at it for more than ten years. I guess it’s similar in Canada, Australia, and the USA. I saw the UK … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Humour, Outreach, Save the Bees
Tagged beekeeping, learning
14 Comments
Black ‘Pollen’ in March
A friend sent this great picture of a honey bee trucking home some very dark pollen today. Since flowers are not yet blooming here in Calgary, I’m pretty sure that the ‘pollen’ is coffee. Bees have been known to gather … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged Calgary, coffee, pollen, pollen substitutes
14 Comments
International (Bee-)Women’s Day
Today (Wednesday, March 8) is International Women’s Day. Women have always played an important role in beekeeping. In developing parts of the world, it is usually women who tend hives and produce honey for their families’ food and cash. In … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, History, Outreach
Tagged bee blogs, Calgary Bee Club, Eva Crane, women in beekeeping
9 Comments
Beekeeper Royally Stung
A rather sad story today. Sad on several levels. A couple of months ago, we learned that “Prince Charles’ beekeeper” was charged with using a prohibited chemical in his hives. The chemical is a medication used throughout North America and … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests, Honey, Save the Bees
Tagged bee medications, organic honey, Prince Charles, Scotland, tetracycline
14 Comments
One more thing about Chinese honey. . .
Occasionally, we take honey from the hive too early. It’s bad honey – some beekeepers call it “green”. High in moisture, and maybe not fully enzymatically converted by the bees. Nectar is ‘wet’ – sometimes 90% water and just 10% … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Hive Products, Honey, Science
Tagged adulteration, China, extracting, processing honey, wet honey
16 Comments
Langstroth, the Christmas Gift
I’m repeating a blog which I posted on Christmas Day last year. It’s about the inventor of modern beekeeping, L.L. Langstroth. Enjoy! He invented modern beekeeping, making it easier, more productive, and less stressful for bees. However, Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Books, History, Hives and Combs, People
Tagged Langstroth, manic-depression, The Hive and the Honey-Bee
1 Comment
Bad Beekeeping Blog 