Category Archives: Friends

My Failure as a Beekeeper: Part II

Posted on September 4, 2017 by

Yesterday, I started to describe my rather lousy year as a beekeeper. It began with an intentionally weak queenless hive. I picked it up at my daughter’s farm and brought it into my back yard, here in the city of … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Friends | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

My Failure as a Beekeeper: Part I

Posted on September 3, 2017 by

I’ve worked with bees for almost fifty years, raising queens, pollinating crops, making oodles of honey.  I grew up in a beekeeping family (so my 50 years started really early). Over that long time period, I worked for some really … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Friends | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

I’m Not a Doctor, but…

Posted on August 31, 2017 by

An acquaintance – someone active in our 400-member Calgary Bee Club – reported that he had an allergic reaction to a sting.  He’s been keeping bees quite a few years and he’s had dozens (perhaps hundreds) of stings. Then, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Apitherapy, Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Friends | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

The Lazy Bees

Posted on August 12, 2017 by

A friend wanted to name his honey farm The Lazy Bee Apiaries. He even made the proper brand (LBA) for marking his frames and rims. But other beekeepers (including me) told him that bees aren’t lazy. Sometimes beekeepers are a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Friends | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

Shake, Rattle, Roll: Our Little Earthquake

Posted on July 13, 2017 by

I live in one of the less shaky parts of the world. I don’t think that Calgary has ever had a damaging earthquake. (Granted, the city isn’t much over a hundred years old, so it’s a short history.)  When the … Continue reading →

Posted in Friends, Honey, Queens, Science, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Return to PolliNation

Posted on June 15, 2017 by

Last month, I mentioned a great new podcast, PolliNation. It’s produced by Andony Melathopoulos, a university professor at Oregon State. The PolliNation podcast series is very nicely produced and Andony has a voice made for podcasting. As a bonus, he … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Friends, Outreach, Pollination, Queens | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

The Annual ALS Fundraiser

Posted on June 12, 2017 by

Almost every year, I diverge from my usual beekeeping nonsense on this blog and write a bit about our annual ALS fundraiser, Betty’s Run for ALS. You probably know someone who had ALS, aka Lou Gehrig’s disease. Right now you … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Friends | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Swarm Season

Posted on May 31, 2017 by

It’s swarm season here in the north. That will end soon enough, but right now it’s pushed by long days and a heavy dandelion flow. Hives just can’t help themselves. In the old days of skep and gum beekeeping, a … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Friends, History, Swarms | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Bee’s Eye View

Posted on May 27, 2017 by

Looking down from a light aircraft gives insights you just can’t match on the ground. At 6,000 feet, you appreciate how close flowers are along a beeline from hive to field. Beeing in the air is useful for a beekeeper … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Friends, History, People, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

PolliNation Podcast

Posted on May 18, 2017 by

Here’s a great new podcast. I’ve just listened to the first episode (twice!). If all the future episodes will be as good as Episode 1, PolliNation will be a great resource and a fun listen for beekeepers.  Since beekeepers spend … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Friends, Outreach, Pollination, Save the Bees | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments