Category Archives: Strange, Odd Stuff
Sterile Radioactive Bugs Arrive in Croatia
Why did a kibbutz in Israel ship 380 million sterile, radioactive fruit flies to Croatia? That might be the most unusual introduction this blog has ever used. Here’s the backstory… Ceratitis capitata – the lovely but insidious Mediterranean Fruit … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Ecology, Pesticides, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged BioBee, citrus, Croatia, Israel, medfly, Neretva Delta, radioactive fruit flies
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Who is the Saint?
On this day in 1970, Norman Borlaug accepted his Nobel Peace Prize. You probably never heard of him. A few days ago, I read an interesting piece in an old New York Times column, written by author/philosopher Steven Pinker. He … Continue reading
Posted in Ecology, Genetics, History, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged genetic modification, Norman Borlaug
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Educating the Humans
Killer bees used to be big news. Enough people are nervous around bees (even the pleasant, nearly harmless, garden bees) that the idea of massive stings is terrifying. “Bee venom is a cocktail of biologically active components that are designed … Continue reading
Posted in Killer Bees, Stings, Strange, Odd Stuff, Swarms
Tagged Arizona, dumb newspapers
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Hives as Art
North Americans are missing a great canvas. The beehive. Solid, often white and publicly visible, it should be used by artists more often. I’ve been lucky enough to work hives in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and South America. Surprisingly, … Continue reading
Posted in Hives and Combs, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged Alberta, Chile, Haagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, Slovenia
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The Worst Place to Get Stung
Where is the worst place to get stung? The correct answer is not “on the picnic table.” According to Cornell University graduate research scientist Michael L. Smith, in a study funded by the United States National Science Foundation, the worst … Continue reading
Super-strength Beekeepers
Have you heard of the Robo-Suit? Japanese scientists are responding to the problem of creaky-boned farmers in their country by designing muscle suits that can be worn over the farmer’s khakis. Two-thirds of Japan’s farmers are over the age of … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Strange, Odd Stuff, Tools and Gadgets
Tagged aging beekeepers, robosuits
3 Comments
Cool in the line of fire
Gotta give the prime minister’s wife credit. She was cool and calm. Unlike the unfortunate beekeeper/chef who was jumping around and swatting bees. Had to be sooo embarrassing for the executive chef. Just another day in the public spotlight for … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Yards, Culture, or lack thereof, Stings, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged Laureen Harper
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Canola – a tasteful upgrade
Canola is in peak bloom here this week. The cultivated oil-seed crop is a phenomenal honey producer. Canadian farmers plant just over 20 million acres of the crop each year. It yields about 100 pounds of honey per acre. If … Continue reading
Posted in Comb Honey, Culture, or lack thereof, Honey Plants, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged canola, rape seed, Saskatchewan, Tisdale
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An indoor hive
I can’t even begin to imagine the clever wit that went into designing this revolutionary beehive. What you see to your right – if you are looking at the hive-gadget rather than the demonstrator – is a new hive design … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Hives and Combs, Strange, Odd Stuff, Tools and Gadgets
Tagged Urban beehive
3 Comments
Glow-in-the-dark bees
Finally! Glow-in-the-dark honey bees! We’ve all been waiting for these glow bugs to complement our glow-in-the-dark radium-painted wristwatches and glow-in-the-dark jelly bean collections. Now you can have the complete set of things you probably didn’t know existed. Researchers at Germany’s … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Culture, or lack thereof, Humour, Queens, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged bee genome, Christina Schulte
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Bad Beekeeping Blog 