Author Archives: Ron Miksha

About Ron Miksha

Ron Miksha is a bee ecologist working at the University of Calgary. He is also a geophysicist and does a bit of science writing and blogging. Ron has worked as a radio broadcaster, a beekeeper, and Earth scientist. (Ask him about seismic waves.) He's based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Ron has written two books, dozens of magazine and journal articles, and complements his first book, Bad Beekeeping, with the blog at badbeekeepingblog.com. Ron wrote his most recent book, The Mountain Mystery, for everyone who has looked at a mountain and wondered what miracles of nature set it upon the landscape. For more about Ron, including some cool pictures taken when he was a teenager, please check Ron's site: miksha.com.

Frosted Honey

Posted on October 11, 2020 by Ron Miksha

My cousin, who lives in Europe, sent me the photograph above. She was wondering what had gone wrong with her honey – and how she could fix it. First, I have to wonder if this is something ‘wrong’. Honey with … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Friends, Honey | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Covid: Saturday at the Hive

Posted on July 18, 2020 by Ron Miksha

Our local bee club (Calgary & District Beekeepers Association)  coordinates a nice summertime event, Saturday at the Hive. Experienced beekeepers offer to show their colonies to newer beekeepers. The guest list is limited and cleared through the bee club, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Yards, Friends, Outreach | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Covid: How we got our bees

Posted on July 17, 2020 by Ron Miksha

Some really unusual things have been going on in the bee world since the advent of Covid-19. These include a big setback for beekeepers in my community and the rescue of stranded Canadians in Central America – a rescue performed … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Pollination | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Don’t Step on a Bee Day

Posted on July 10, 2020 by Ron Miksha

There’s a day for everything. Today is Don’t Step on a Bee Day. See if you can keep it up all week!

Posted in Humour, Save the Bees | Tagged | 3 Comments

Covid: Do your bees have the cure?

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Ron Miksha

Well, I hope you enjoyed your break away from my blog. I did. Sometimes its nice to hit that big fat reset button in the middle of the desk. I hit it when my head fell on my desk one … Continue reading →

Posted in Apitherapy, Science, Stings, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , | 19 Comments

Big Bee Meet

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Ron Miksha

This is sort of a public service announcement for Alberta beekeepers. Alberta is a place in Canada, population 4 million, north of Montana, home to the Calgary Stampede, some NHL teams, and the best honey in the world. Deer and … Continue reading →

Posted in Outreach, Personal, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , | 3 Comments

A Guide to Controlling Varroa

Posted on February 15, 2020 by Ron Miksha

Spring is arriving in the north, and a young man’s mind thinks about romance. And varroa. There’s a nice new single-page guide that offers a quick look at integrated pest management (IPM) for the varroa beast. You can read some … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Remembering Susan

Posted on January 11, 2020 by Ron Miksha

I never met Susan Rudnicki, but we sparred regularly right here on this blog. She was passionate about her California Africanized bees, about young women’s education (especially in developing countries), and about the need for us to take care of … Continue reading →

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

Bees and the Australian Fires

Posted on January 5, 2020 by Ron Miksha

Australia is on fire. When I heard about the thousands of people who were fleeing – some being rescued from beaches by the navy – and then saw photos of black smoke, red skies, and stampeding kangaroos, I worried about … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Yards, Climate, Commercial Beekeeping, Ecology | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

The Perfect Cup of Tea

Posted on January 2, 2020 by Ron Miksha

The perfect cup of tea starts with honey. At least, that’s how the royals do it. It’s hard to argue that anyone else would know better. They’ve got history, experience, connections and money. And tea is important in their part … Continue reading →

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