I spotted a beehive at the Gabriola Commons last week, and was surprised to see these official-looking labels on the hive. Wow, I thought, these beekeepers are a serious lot! But it’s more than that. Did you know that BC has a Bee Act? It has all kinds of rules. Beekeeping is clearly a lot [...]
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You know I’m interested in bees, beekeeping, and honey, and that I have a soft spot for history. So this news fascinated me: World’s Oldest Beehive Discovered in Scottish Chapel. Located in the medieval Scottish Rosslyn Chapel, which dates back to 1446, two ancient hives have been found, skillfully carved in the stone work under [...]
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From the Nanaimo Daily News: Beekeepers ponder new reality of lifted quarantine. Vancouver Island beekeepers will meet in Nanaimo later this month to chart a direction for the industry after the province lifted a quarantine limiting the importation of bees to the Island. On May 1, the province lifted a quarantine that protected Island bee [...]
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Do you know about WWOOF? It stands for World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It’s a volunteer program. The idea is that you go off to some area you’d like to visit, and spend your time volunteering on an organic farm there. You work 4-6 hours a day on the farm; your meals and accommodations [...]
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From ScienceNews.org: Bees face ‘unprecedented’ pesticide exposures at home and afield. For years the news has been the same: Honey bees are being hammered by some mysterious environmental plague that has a name — colony collapse disorder — but no established cause. A two-year study now provides evidence indicting one likely group of suspects: pesticides. [...]
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Are Gabriola bees in trouble? The Vancouver Sun reports that 90 per cent of bee colonies have been wiped out on Vancouver Island. Since Gabriola is so close to Vancouver Island, it’s hard to imagine that our bees have fared much better. If bees don’t polinate your veggies and flowers, and if bees don’t pollinate [...]
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This is amazing. Somebody put a bell jar over some bees, and the bees proceeded to build a hive inside the jar. See their construction project, step by step, through the glass. (Update: link removed as photos are no longer available.) Birdchick.com has photos and a video of another bees in a bell jar project. [...]
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Remember the beekeeping course I mentioned the other day? I’ve been thinking about that, partly because I need a warm-weather thing to think about in the midst of all this snow. And who doesn’t like honey? Besides, the idea of being a beekeeper has a certain appeal. What I’m wondering is: could I do it, [...]
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Oooh, new stuff! The Gabriola Recreation Society has posted their list of new programs. They’ve got the usual assortment of programs for kids, and the usual assortment of fitness and sports things as well. This, though — this seems more than usually interesting: BEEKEEPING — February/March; Gabriola Commons, 4 sessions, plus field trip; $150 Join [...]
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