Category Archives: Ecology
Bees and the Australian Fires
Australia is on fire. When I heard about the thousands of people who were fleeing – some being rescued from beaches by the navy – and then saw photos of black smoke, red skies, and stampeding kangaroos, I worried about … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Yards, Climate, Commercial Beekeeping, Ecology
Tagged Australia, climate change, forest fires, smoke
12 Comments
Seeing 20-20
What will the new year (and decade) bring? Although “20-20” denotes perfect vision, I doubt we’ll be so lucky. I suspect that we’ll continue with our near-sighted attitudes toward . . . everything. We can’t help it. We’re hardwired that … Continue reading
Interview at CJSW with Ian Perry
A couple of months ago, I was invited to chat about my research with Ian Perry, who runs a radio/podcast interview program (Keeping Green) at the University of Calgary’s CJSW. Ian is interviewing people who are studying ecology in western … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Ecology, Native Bees, Personal, Science
Tagged CJSW, urban beekeeping
6 Comments
Apimondia 2019: Thursday (some presentations)
On Thursday at the Montreal Apimondia, I gave a presentation about the average distance bees fly while foraging. The full title was Foraging distances of commercially-deployed bees: a meta-analysis. When I find some time, I’ll do a voice-over and create … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Ecology, Native Bees, Pollination, Science
Tagged Apimondia, bee foraging
1 Comment
You thought bees were vegetarians?
Well, looks like another sacred truth has been shattered. Bees eat beefy little microbes as part of their regular diet. Never again will I stand in front of a class of new beekeepers and implore them to marvel at the … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Diseases and Pests, Ecology, Pesticides, Save the Bees, Science
Tagged bee nutrition, microbes, pollen
3 Comments
Feel like a MOOC?
You can never know too much about bugs. That’s why I signed up for Bugs 101, offered by a rival school, the University of Alberta. (That’s up in Edmonton – I’m in Calgary, at a different, and arguably warmer, closer, … Continue reading
Coconut Monkeys
Some years ago, I had a job that I didn’t like. The money was good, but the work was bad. I was stuck in “Coconut Monkey” syndrome. Farmers in south India are sometimes plagued by monkeys stealing their crops. The … Continue reading
Goodbye, Susan
A friend whom I never met has passed away. Her memorial service was on the weekend. Susan Rudnicki was a regular reader and commented here frequently. If you’ve been following this blog over the past year or two, you have … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Ecology, Friends
Tagged Africanized honey bees, bee rescues, Susan Rudnicki
8 Comments
Pollinator Week 2019
In the past three or four years, I began to notice that honey bees aren’t the only bees in the world. What a surprise! There are over 20,000 other versions. Some as big as elephants, some as small as pin … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Ecology, Outreach, Pollination
Tagged bumblebees, National Pollination Week, Pollination, pollinators
2 Comments
World Bee Day 2019
World Bee Day, May 20 of each year, is not just about honey bees. Although the idea arose in Slovenia, a little country that’s really big on honey-bee keeping, it’s also a celebration of all the world’s bees. About 20,000 … Continue reading
Posted in Ecology, History, Native Bees, Outreach, Save the Bees
Tagged Anton Jansa, dogwood, Native Bees, Slovenia, World Bee Day
5 Comments
