Author Archives: Ron Miksha
Comb on demand
Here’s something that I never thought anyone would manufacture. It’s fully-drawn comb, just the way bees would make it, if bees were machines. I’m impressed with the technology, but I’m not sure how marketable these manufactured combs will be. Perhaps … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Hives and Combs, Strange, Odd Stuff, Tools and Gadgets
Tagged beeswax
14 Comments
Good Neighbour Beekeeping
It’s worth repeating. Especially at this time of the year. Be a good neighbour beekeeper. I wrote the following post last March. If you missed it, here’s your chance to miss it again…. 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Yards, Beekeeping, Books, Outreach
Tagged Andony Melathopoulos, bee safety, urban beekeeping
3 Comments
Comb honey euphoria?
Three million people have watched this 12-minute video of a person eating honey comb and fried chicken. Every nuance of the first stage of digestion is clearly visible and audible. Microphones focus on noisy chewing and slurping sounds. Why would … Continue reading
Posted in Comb Honey, Culture, or lack thereof, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged ASMR, Comb Honey
8 Comments
Beekeeping goes Global
Global TV interviewed me at noon today. Our chat went OK. I covered most of what I wanted to talk about in the five minutes allotted. I’d like to give a special thanks to Liz Goldie, who helped immeasurably with … Continue reading
Posted in Ecology, Outreach, Save the Bees
Tagged Bees on TV, Calgary Bee Club, urban beekeeping
10 Comments
A bit of pollen
Today’s high was only 12 ºC (53F), but the bees had discovered pollen. It’s surprising how small the pollen pelts are, and doubly surprising that nearly every bee is carrying some. Both of our backyard colonies are weak, but coming … Continue reading
Polar Vortex Insurance: Extended to Beekeepers!
Our local Auto Club (Alberta Motor Association) is offering Polar Vortex Insurance. This is a great new feature (for members only) – if the temperature stays at -25C, or colder, for any 14 consecutive days, each paid-up member gets to … Continue reading
Posted in Climate, Humour, Save the Bees, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged Alberta, cold weather, insurance, wintering bees
3 Comments
March 30: World Apitherapy Day
Today is World Apitherapy Day. And it’s my birthday. Coincidence? Maybe. Apitherapy, which means using bee stuff for health, can include eating pollen, propolis, wax, royal jelly, bee larvae, and honey – or rubbing them on your face. But for … Continue reading
Posted in Apitherapy, Culture, or lack thereof, Outreach, People, Stings, Uncategorized
Tagged anaphylactic shock, Apitherapy, Apitherapy Day, bee stings, Filip Terč, rheumatism
9 Comments
Our backyard bees get a make-over
First the good news: They survived. Then, the reality: Kinda weak. For the past few days, it’s been mild (15C, or 50F), so my 16-year-old and I did a complete backyard bees make-over. Mind you, looks aren’t everything, but this … Continue reading
Every bee has a job: a short National Geographic video
National Geographic, the society of nature, geography, and the occasional bewildering cause, posted this short clip today. It explains the stages of ‘bee jobs’ that change with a honey bee’s age. Among its rabbit-hole nuggets, the film mentions that the … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Movies, Outreach
Tagged honey bee life cycle, National Geographic
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If it looks like a bee, it’s a wasp
A few of us got together last night for coffee to discuss something about the United Beekeepers of Alberta. After that, one of the folks mentioned that she was preparing to meet a group in a couple of weeks to … Continue reading
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