Category Archives: Science

The Man Who Discovered that Bees Can Think

Posted on December 27, 2017 by

You probably know that Karl von Frisch figured out how honey bees use their waggle-dance to communicate. He won the Nobel Prize for that and for other studies of bee behaviour. I think it was well-deserved and his experiments withstood … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Culture, or lack thereof, History, People, Science | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

Wax Worms Biggly in the News

Posted on December 20, 2017 by

The folks who write my favourite business magazine, Economist, have a freebie on their website. They are giving away a 50-page book,  Ten Things We Learned in 2017. You’ll like the second story in their feature: “How plastic-eating caterpillars could … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Diseases and Pests, Ecology, Science, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Why are Hives Damp in the Winter?

Posted on October 7, 2017 by

Last time, I wrote about my over-wintering misadventures with wet hives. In many parts of the world (I’m looking at you, England.), the biggest winterkill comes from moisture, not disease or starvation. During the winter, water may collect under the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Science, Tools and Gadgets | Tagged , , | 7 Comments

95th Birthday for “The Man Who Made Killer Bees”

Posted on September 7, 2017 by

This week, we should celebrate Warwick Estevam Kerr, the man who made the killer bees. September 9th is his 95th birthday. Just like his bees, Kerr comes from hot, tropical Brazil. And just like his bees, Dr Kerr has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Genetics, People, Science, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Better Bees

Posted on July 29, 2017 by

Hungary, where I am today, has a long beekeeping history. Honey bees have been part of the ecology for thousands of years. Here, they are indigenous species whereas in the Americas (and Australia, New Zealand, and much of Asia), the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Climate, Culture, or lack thereof, Ecology, Genetics, Science | Tagged , , , , , | 2 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

Fishing Bait That Eats Plastic

Posted on April 30, 2017 by

Hundreds of diseases and pests attack honey bees. One of the oldest known hive invaders is the wax moth. Aristotle had trouble keeping them out of his hives so maybe you do, too.  Wax moths come in two flavours – … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests, Science, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Have These Kids Found a Way to Kill Varroa?

Posted on April 25, 2017 by

I am a skeptic when it comes to ‘miracle’ cures to fight varroa. I think that the various expensive heat/sauna systems are a waste of time and money. A lot of natural treatments (icing/powdered sugar; essential oils; screened bottoms) are … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests, Save the Bees, Science, Tools and Gadgets | Tagged , , | 14 Comments

March for Science (revisited)

Posted on April 24, 2017 by

So, how’d the March for Science go?  I’ll admit that it went better than I expected. My fear (expressed in Friday’s blog) that the effort to support science would be hijacked by a political agenda was only about one-third true. … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Friends, Outreach, Save the Bees, Science | Tagged , | 5 Comments

March on Down?

Posted on April 21, 2017 by

This weekend, we celebrate Earth Day. And why not? There are official days for glazed spiral ham (April 15), chocolate covered cashews (April 21!), and bee sting enthusiasts (March 30). So, Earth should have a day of celebration. As a … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Outreach, Science | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments