Category Archives: Friends

Apimondia 2019: Tuesday (Posters)

Posted on September 14, 2019 by

This blog post is out of sync (“Tuesday” is being posted on Saturday), but as a good friend once told me, “It’s always Tuesday somewhere.” Truth is, it gets hard to post on a blog while on a conference. I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Friends, Science | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Saturday at the Hive

Posted on July 7, 2019 by

A new beekeeper learns best by clinging to the leg of an experienced beekeeper. That’s how I learned, but I was four years old at the time. For you older folks, you need a mentor, someone who’s actually a better … Continue reading →

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

A good day in the bees

Posted on June 30, 2019 by

Friends at Tsuut’ina Nation Apiaries, just outside Calgary, invited me to visit their main apiary today. The indigenous bee project was started by Chief Lee Crowchild two years ago. While I visited, the Tsuut’ina beekeepers worked 35 hives at this … Continue reading →

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

Goodbye, Susan

Posted on June 26, 2019 by

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 , , | 5 Comments

Finally, Iceland

Posted on September 11, 2018 by

In late August, I returned to Canada after a few days in Iceland. I’ve wanted to travel there ever since I was a kid and I quit being a kid decades ago. So, it was about time that I’d made … Continue reading →

Posted in Friends, Honey Plants, Travels | Tagged , | 11 Comments

My Annual ALS Post

Posted on June 10, 2018 by

I have a type of motor neuron disease, similar to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which most people call ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease because that’s easier to say. Every year I do a post about the disease in order to thank, … Continue reading →

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

Ron on PolliNation!

Posted on May 28, 2018 by

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 , , | 2 Comments

Ask Three ‘Experts’ (and get six answers)

Posted on March 18, 2018 by

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 , , , | 10 Comments

Hobby Beekeepers Get an Extra Hour

Posted on March 11, 2018 by

Most folks I know reset their clocks last night. This is great for hobby beekeepers who race home after work to don gaudy bee suits and ignite smoker fuel, hoping to beat the setting sun. Not so fast, Beekeepster. You … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Friends, History, Humour, Reblogs | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

2017: The Year in Bee Review

Posted on December 31, 2017 by

As 2017 draws to a close, let’s look back at the year’s best beekeeping stories. With lower honey prices in 2017, some beekeepers left the business and colony counts fell a little.  Back in 2016, I reported that honey bees … Continue reading →

Posted in Apitherapy, Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Diseases and Pests, Friends, History, Hive Products, Honey, Honey Plants, Killer Bees, Movies, Outreach, People, Pesticides, Pollination, Queens, Save the Bees, Science | Tagged | 6 Comments