Overwintering loss: 7 hives & 1 father
Loss is inevitable. The hives we work will one day be empty; the people we love will one day expire; the sun that warms us will one day consume the … Continue reading
Bumpy roads make for a fun ride
The process sounds simple (harvest, extract, bottle and label) and yet somehow it got complicated and the distance between point A and point B went through point Q (with a stopover in … Continue reading
Wasps give honeybees a bad reputation
Honeybees are awesome enviro-helpers and wasps are intolerant d*cks. It is therefore surprising to find that bees and wasps are thought of interchangeably in the minds of the general public. … Continue reading
6 reasons to join a beekeeping association:
You don’t have to be a beekeeper to join a beekeeping association. Confused and befuddled you ask the question “why would a non-beekeeper want to join a beekeeping group?” Here … Continue reading
The experiment begins
There isn’t just one way of housing bees. The most common method is the Langstroth hive with frames each containing a beeswax sheet printed with a hexagonal pattern. The bees use … Continue reading
The BIG bumblebee
In the earlier parts of spring you’ll find enormous bumblebees out foraging for nectar and pollen. Did your enthusiasm for the lack of snow somehow cause spring hallucinations of thumb … Continue reading
Healthy, hype or magic?
More than a dozen people this past month have approached me and espoused the health benefits of honey, bee pollen and/or royal jelly. There is a passion with which people … Continue reading
Winter
Overwintering behaviour in bees is important as overwintering losses can be devastating to even the hardiest of beekeepers. When the snow is blowing a common question from non-beekeepers is: “What … Continue reading
Meaning, madness or meditation?
There is so much more to beekeeping than providing the bees with a box and inspecting them periodically. There are also the social and philosophical elements of beekeeping. A local … Continue reading
Feel your imaginary antennae
You can probably identify with many aspects of bee life; the daily routine, enjoying honey, caring for family members. You can also probably imagine what it would be like to … Continue reading
Ottawa Honey House 