Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekly Reading Number 10!

Topic 1: Herbicide Law Suit

This news article covers a lawsuit filed by community water service against Syngenta, a chemicals maker. The suit is being filed because toxic chemicals had been seeping via runoff into community water sources. The lawsuit is being settled for $105 million.

I understand this settlement is considered large and monumental for corporate accountability, but considering 54 million people were affected by this, $2 a person seems like an awfully small amount of money.


Topic 2: Pesticides

This article talks about a pesticides, which even in small doses, cause bees to ignore potential food sources, which can result in entire colonies starving to death.

This is another scary example of how pesticides and other manmade chemicals can negatively affect and destroy the natural environment. This shows once again that no matter how much a chemical is tested, even the smartest scientists cannot predict what it will affect once released to the vast natural environment. Although, this article is not 100% negative, it is good to see scientists making progress in discovering what is causing the sadly rapid decline of bee populations.


Topic 3: Salmon Farming

This article is reporting on a B.C. salmon farm that recently was infected with a virus and had to cull over 500,000 salmon.

I am torn on the issue of farmed fish. On one hand, I believe that natural food is always better than processed, but with current over-fished waters, sustainably farming fish seems to have less harm on the environment. Also I find the fact they still sell infected salmon is a little disturbing. I think in general we, as humans, need to either be informed or find out ourselves a little more information about what we eat.

Reads #9

Topic 1: Starting Queen Cells

This article shows various ways of starting queen cells, including the Millar, comb, and Alley methods.


Topic 2: Clipping and Marking Bees

This article describes various methods and tools for clipping the wings of a queen bee, as well as marking queens for identification.


Topic 3: Finishing Queen Cells

This article describes methods of finishing off queen bee cells.


Topic 4: Using Queen Cells

This article explains how to properly use extra queen cells, and also describes Queen Banking.


Response: Wow, I am continually impressed with the processes that go into beekeeping. Beekeeping contains elements of breeding (the queen), woodwork (the hive), resourcefulness, gardening (flowers), husbandry, and most importantly, a connection to nature. There seems to be as many different methods as there are beekeepers. Even when just raising queens, there is  Jenter kit, walk-away split, grafting, Cloake board, artificial insemination, and a mating yard. Amazing.

Readings of the Week Number Eight

Topic 1: Artificial Swarm

This video describes the process of creating an artificial swarm and "Queen Rearing."

It constantly amazes me at how smart bees are. And not just individually smart, but able to function and interact as a team. 

Topic 2: Splitting A Hive

In this video, the host shows us how to split a hive.

I never really gave much thought to the necessity of splitting a hive, but it all makes sense, that in order to prevent swarming one would have to constantly split up a hive.

Topic 3: Making Queens

Don The FatBeeMan shows a very simple and rough way to create vertical cells to make queens.

This video was really cool and simple to follow. Its crazy how many different techniques and approaches people have to beekeeping. Its really cool there is not a set of rules to beekeeping, it is very open to interpretation and creativity.

Weekly Reading #7

Topic 1: Death by Bacon?

This article is about the danger of various red meats and the harms of having a diet heavy in red meats.

I though this article was really interesting, and very applicable to my own life,  as I really enjoy bacon and red meat. I also found it interesting how much risks decrease when you substitute with chicken. For some reason, I always though chicken was fairly unhealthy. I am definitely going to keep an eye on the meats I'm buying from now on, and try to buy nitrite-less bacon, etc.

Topic 2: Krillers

This article is about the fishing industry revolving around the fishing of the Antarctic Krill, who is being fished for its omega-3 rich oil.

Its crazy to think companies are willing to spend huge amounts of money crashing through Antarctic ice, not to mention harming the natural environment, in order to get the oil from fish smaller than shrimp. Though it is interesting to know that there is one place on earth that hasn't been completely over-fished yet.