Category Archives: Honey

National I Love Honey Day

Today – December 18 – is National “I Love Honey Day”. I’m not sure whose idea this one is, but it’s a good one. America should have a national honey day – it’s the world’s largest honey customer. Maybe it … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Honey, Humour | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Sweet Stats

Yesterday, Stats Canada released honey bee numbers for 2016. Canada now has more colonies ever. That’s  right – more hives of honey bees than ever, in all of our recorded history. Our numbers are now over 750,000 colonies. The last … Continue reading

Posted in Honey, Save the Bees | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Lawsuits Amidst Toxic Allegations

Australia is having a food fight.  Well, a honey fight, actually, and there are lessons aplenty to be found in it.  First off, a Save the Bees gentleman, Simon Mulvany, of Melbourne, launched a name-calling campaign against Australian honey packer … Continue reading

Posted in Commercial Beekeeping, Honey, Save the Bees, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Why Vegans are Wrong

I have a vegan acquaintance. He is a mild, considerate, and generally pleasant young man. He thinks that beekeeping is cruel and inhumane. He tells me that honey-eating encourages theft and the abuse, imprisonment and exploitation of insects. “Tell me … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Ecology, History, Honey, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , , , | 104 Comments

Water in Honey

Honey is about 80% sugar and 18% water. The rest is minerals and ash*, pollen grains and bees’ wings. The sugars and water come from nectar secreted by flowers. When flowers produce nectar (as a way of attracting pollinating insects … Continue reading

Posted in Beekeeping, Friends, Honey | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Sometimes They Get Caught (then gently tapped on their knuckles)

This is a piece about someone in the USA who was caught selling tainted honey. This was not his first brush with the law. The same gentleman, Douglas Murphy, was an executive at American Rice, Inc. when the feds found … Continue reading

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No bees, no honey, no Rosh Hashanah

No bees, no honey, no Rosh Hashanah. Sweet. The Calgary Jewish Community Centre (JCC) is hosting a “beeswax and sweetness marketplace” this week, Tuesday, September 27th from 3 to 7 pm. Rosh Hashanah – Jewish New Year – begins at … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Honey, Outreach | Tagged , | Leave a comment

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 , , , | 4 Comments

Bearspaw Honey Harvest

A friend sent these pictures of some of his honey harvest. It was part of his second pull, taken September 4th.  He says there’s more to gather and he’ll collect it in a couple of weeks. Looks like great quality!  … Continue reading

Posted in Friends, Hive Products, Honey | Tagged , | 8 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 , , , , | 16 Comments