Category Archives: Beekeeping
Brood in Front of the Hive?!?
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 American Foulbrood, chalkbrood, dead bees, skunks, wintering
10 Comments
Bright Shiny Extractors
I’m continuing with the series of questions I overheard at last week’s bee meeting. Today, it’s the bright shiny extractor. Here are those questions: My honey isn’t capped. What should I do with it? (I heard that one from three … Continue reading
How Can I Stop Wasp Attacks?
A few days ago, I wrote about the way new beekeepers are generally sure about the right way to keep bees while oldtimers are reticent when it comes to answering questions. Sometimes there are a dozen ways to solve a … Continue reading
What Do You Do with Open Honey?
Yesterday, I droned on and on about how beekeepers who are smart and mature don’t know anything. It’s the new beefolks who have all the answers. I’m not quite at the point where I know nothing, so I’m going to … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Honey, Tools and Gadgets
Tagged Alberta, Canada, moisture in honey, refractometer
4 Comments
It Depends
Last night we had another meeting of our local bee club, the Calgary and District Beekeepers. These are becoming legendary events with over 150 bee people, sipping coffee and doing bee-talk. Although it’s great fun mixing with so many nice … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Friends, Outreach
Tagged Calgary Bee Club
10 Comments
The Man Who Made Killer Bees
Today (September 9) is the 94th birthday of Warwick Estevam Kerr, the man who made the Killer Bees. Just like his bees, Kerr comes from hot, tropical Brazil. And just like his bees, Dr Kerr has been much maligned and … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Genetics, People, Science
Tagged Africanized honey bees, AHB, Brazil, Melipona, Native Bees, Warwick Kerr
18 Comments
Does the FDA Think Honey has ‘Added Sugar’?
I just got off the phone. I was chatting with a buddy who lives in the USA. (I am in western Canada.) He tells me that the FDA is completely revising US label laws. In the near future, Calories will … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Honey
Tagged adulteration, FDA, labeling, marketing honey, sugar
16 Comments
Millions Dead
Millions of bees are dead following aerial spray of the neurotoxin Naled. The spray was released Sunday morning between 6:30 and 8:30 by a South Carolina county trying to control mosquitoes which may or may not spread Zika and West … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Pesticides
Tagged neonicotinoids, poisoned bees, South Carolina
4 Comments
Good News: No Killer Bees at the Olympics
Whatever happened to the Killer Bees? Killer Bees – more accurately, hybrids of European and African honey bees – were supposed to destroy the world, or at least kill a lot of people trying. They started out in Brazil, not … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Diseases and Pests, History, Humour, Killer Bees, Movies, Stings, Swarms
Tagged Africanized honey bees, Brazil, Killer Bees, Olympics, The Swarm
1 Comment
Saturday at the Hive
I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It’s a remarkable city. Economist magazine ranks us as the world’s fifth-best city (they place Vancouver and Toronto as 3rd and 4th) while the international agency the Mercer Group says Calgary has the cleanest … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Friends
Tagged Alberta, extracting, honey house, Neil Bertram
1 Comment
Bad Beekeeping Blog 