Tag Archives: bees

Bees and frequencies

Hi, Everyone! Chief Lee Crowchild and I have been asked to present at the Calgary Science Centre for an upcoming Indigenous Science Night. Attendance will be up to about 1700 people and the event is just a few weeks away, … Continue reading

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Friends, Native Bees, Science | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Kim Flottum: a life among the bees

Mid-70s is too young to pass over to the other side. But that was the fate for Kim Flottum, 76, who passed away Sunday, December 10, 2023, after a short battle with cancer. The bright and adventurous bee master, editor, … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Friends, History, People, Podcasts | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Support the Students

I don’t usually ask readers to help (even with good causes), but you will feel great about this one. The University of Calgary, where I am looking at the interaction between honey bees and native bees, has a smart group … Continue reading

Posted in Books, Ecology, Native Bees, Outreach, Save the Bees | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

EO Wilson, 92, has left the lab

The entire Earth was Ed Wilson’s lab. When his death was announced on Monday, I knew that I wanted to write a few words words in his honour, but I also knew that this would be a difficult task. One … Continue reading

Posted in Bee Biology, Books, Culture, or lack thereof, Ecology, History, People, Science | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Malathion and Pesky Bugs

There’s a pesticide causing grief among some hobby beekeepers. No, not the neonicotinoids again (though they’re not without blame). This is an “older” poison. If you are a new beekeeper, you might not have heard of malathion. Malathion is deadly … Continue reading

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African Beekeeping May “Save the Trees”

Rather than “Save the Bees”, it’s “Save the Trees” in central Africa. A story from Zimbabwe reminds us that beekeeping can be very, very good for ecology. Bees (and beekeepers) are saving Zimbabwe’s forests. The country of Zimbabwe, lest we … Continue reading

Posted in Beekeeping, Ecology, Save the Bees | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The Bees’ Sixth Sense

Bees sense the environment differently than humans. For example,  bees can see ultra-violet colour and distinguish it from violet and white, yet they see red as if it were black. They sense the orientation of polarized light. Their massive compound … Continue reading

Posted in Bee Biology, Science | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Dozens of Bees

You know that a hive of bees may contain 50,000 insects. You probably also know that you can often open a hive and work its frames with just short-sleeves, sandals, and a bit of smoke. We tend to forget that … Continue reading

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