Author Archives: Ron Miksha
David Attenborough and the tired bumblebee
Back in July, I posted about some cute stories which were filling social media. Vignettes described people rescuing tired, hungry-looking (how can you tell?) bumblebees by giving them a spoonful of sugar water. I have reposted that July blog piece … Continue reading
A 70-year-old beekeeper
The king-in-waiting (that sounds dreadful) is celebrating his 70th birthday today. The current controversy surrounding Prince Charles is a question over how his role as an environmentalist and erst-while supporter of occasionally odd pseudoscience may interfere with his job as … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, People
Tagged Highwood Honey, Prince Charles, selling honey
10 Comments
Where poppies grow…
In much of the old British Empire, November 11 is commemorated as Remembrance Day. The warring parties, which had sent their young people into trenches to shoot each other, finally created a cease-fire. It was set to begin at 11 … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, History, Honey Plants
Tagged Flanders, McCrae, poppy, war
4 Comments
The Metaphysical Beekeeper
As I continue to plod along with my Master’s in bee ecology at the University of Calgary, I feel obligated to apologize for the infrequency of these bad beekeeping posts. Sorry. But I’m not going to apologize for occasionally repeating … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Comb Honey, Commercial Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, History, People
Tagged Comb Honey, famous beekeepers, Richard Taylor
6 Comments
Sue Hubbell and her Bees
One of the first really good beekeeping story tellers whom I remember encountering was Sue Hubbell. Her books, A Country Year: Living the Questions (1986) and A Book of Bees and How to Keep Them (1988) showed me that books … Continue reading
Canada Goes Legal (Wait ’til you taste the honey!)
Yesterday, October 17, 2018, Canada legalized possession and consumption of weed, pot, grass, cannabis, marijuana, or as my father called it, Mary-Ja-Wanna. Parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of the motion proposed by the justice minister a year ago. It took … Continue reading
Posted in Honey, Honey Plants, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged Canada, cannabis, marijuana, nectar
9 Comments
Bees on Ice
So much has happened in the weeks since my last post: I started an MSc (in bee ecology); my son and I pulled our honey crop; I presented a talk at the first-ever United Beekeepers of Alberta conference; I began … Continue reading
City Mourns Loss of Beloved Beekeeper
The Amazon River city of Manaus has begun three days of official mourning for the death of a beekeeper. He was the beekeeper, research scientist, geneticist, educator, and political activist, Dr Warwick Kerr. The mayor of Manaus declared the tribute … Continue reading
Dr Warwick Kerr, the “Man Who Created Killer Bees”, has died
It is with regret that we report that the humanitarian, geneticist, and scientist, Professor Warwick Kerr, passed away this morning, September 15, 2018. He was six days past his 96th birthday. Dr Kerr, a Brazilian bee scientist, had one of … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Culture, or lack thereof, Genetics, People, Queens, Science
Tagged Africanized honey bees, AHB, Brazil, Melipona, Warwick Kerr
17 Comments
Finally, Iceland
In late August, I returned to Canada after a few days in Iceland. I’ve wanted to travel there ever since I was a kid and I quit being a kid decades ago. So, it was about time that I’d made … Continue reading
