One of the most extraordinary things I learned in graduate school was how to pronounce Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. All of us taking a class titled “The Biology and Ecology of Pacific Salmon and Trout” were told we would need to say and spell the name of this delightful fish as part of our oral exams. I […] Read more
I have one more post to write in the pollen series, but I keep getting sidetracked by the photos people send me. Yesterday’s thermal images were awesome, but today’s photo is totally annoying. The photo below was taken at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum by beekeeper David Caylor. The text is on the wall of […] Read more
Every now and again someone asks the difference between burr comb, bridge comb, and brace comb. I wrote about these briefly in a post called “Strange comb in strange places“, but apparently my definitions were lacking. So here, I will explain. But first, I will make two assumptions: one, that you know what comb is […] Read more
Confusion surrounding solitary bees seems to be getting worse. Recently, I ran into an acquaintance in a local supermarket. The conversation went something like this: “Hey Kathy,” I said, “did you finally get your hive set up?” “No, we decided to wait another year. But we got solitary bees! We put up a box.” “Great!” I […] Read more
These words often show up in searches, so I decided to make a table of translations. I had guessed that many of them meant either “bee” or “honey” because they show up frequently, almost every day. So just for fun, here are those two words in 42 languages. Language Bee Honey Arabic نَحْلَـه، نَحْـل عَسَل […] Read more
With that title, I can hear my ratings tumble like rocks from a precipice. Certain words invoke sheer boredom in beekeepers; “English” is one, “physics” is another. Although my “Physics for beekeepers” series is my personal favorite, it certainly is not yours. I don’t expect “English for beekeepers” to fare much better. My complaint is […] Read more
Hive or colony? It’s simple. A hive is a house, a place where bees live. It is a structure, usually man-made, that a colony calls home. The colony is the family unit consisting of a queen, workers, and—for a few months of the year—drones. In other words, a colony lives in a hive. Unfortunately, people […] Read more