Monthly Archives: December 2019

Goodbye, 2019

Posted on December 31, 2019 by Ron Miksha

As 2019 draws to a close, let’s look back at some of the year’s beekeeping stories. Honey prices were lower again in 2019, forcing some beekeepers out of the business. Still, many countries now have more honey bees than anytime … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, History | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Richard Taylor Centennial

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Ron Miksha

I certainly could not let this year pass without a note or two about Richard Taylor, American beekeeper and philosopher. He would have reached 100 years in November. Alas, he expired seventeen years earlier. It’s hard to say which of … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Books, People | Tagged | 1 Comment

Langstroth’s Christmas Present

Posted on December 25, 2019 by Ron Miksha

I’ve been posting this piece every Christmas for a while. If you’ve read it before, read it again. Or not. Christmas Day is L.L. Langstroth’s birthday. He’d be 219 years old, if he hadn’t been struck down in his 85th … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Books, History, Hives and Combs, People, Tools and Gadgets | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Making honey talk

Posted on December 21, 2019 by Ron Miksha

A biochemistry student at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, has been analyzing proteins in honey. Since proteins (for example, pollen grains, shown above) make up only about 0.1-0.5% (one to five parts per thousand) of the volume of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Diseases and Pests, Honey, Science, Tools and Gadgets | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Interview at CJSW with Ian Perry

Posted on December 19, 2019 by Ron Miksha

A couple of months ago, I was invited to chat about my research with Ian Perry, who runs a radio/podcast interview program (Keeping Green) at the University of Calgary’s CJSW. Ian is interviewing people who are studying ecology in western … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Ecology, Native Bees, Personal, Science | Tagged , | 6 Comments

National “I Love Honey Day”

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Ron Miksha

I’m not sure how serious this is, but someone somewhere has declared December 18 to be national I Love Honey Day.  I’m not sure what we’re supposed to do. But here’s an idea: Go out and buy some honey. Then … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Honey | Tagged | 4 Comments

. . . it’s like calling an old friend

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Ron Miksha

I’m breaking my longest blogging hiatus since I began spewing my myopic insights on the internet, way back in the mid-90s.  Several folks wrote, asking if I were still alive. I didn’t answer them. Then it occurred to me that … Continue reading →

Posted in Humour, Personal | Tagged , , | 3 Comments