Author Archives: Ron Miksha

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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.

Turner’s (belated) Birthday

Posted on February 4, 2019 by Ron Miksha

I can’t believe that I missed reminding you yesterday that it was Charles Turner’s birthday. Here’s the story of the man who figured out that honey bees can think. 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 You probably know that Karl von Frisch … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Books, Culture, or lack thereof, History, People, Science | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The $3 Billion Vacation

Posted on February 1, 2019 by Ron Miksha

I’ve heard ‘three billion dollars’ as the ‘permanent’ cost of giving 700,000 US government workers an unexpected 35-day vacation. There were also thousands of consultants furloughed because of the federal shutdown.  According to economists, who mostly look at lost income … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Diseases and Pests, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

How many honey bees are there? A 2019 update.

Posted on January 14, 2019 by Ron Miksha

Originally posted on Adventuresinbeeland's Blog:
A year ago I wrote a post titled ‘How many honey bees are there?‘, after a question on Quora got me intrigued about whether any kind of data exists on worldwide honey bee numbers. Would…

Posted in Reblogs, Save the Bees | Tagged | 9 Comments

Is bee-talk keeping you awake?

Posted on January 13, 2019 by Ron Miksha

So, you’re hauling bees across the country – and you’re drowsy. Or having trouble staying awake while doing the dull, repetitive manual labour we call extracting. What do you do? A lot of people keep their eyes open by listening … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Books, Culture, or lack thereof, History | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Cats catch up with bees

Posted on January 9, 2019 by Ron Miksha

This Twitter tweet is cute as a kitten. It’s nice, but we all know that bees are way smarter than cats. Bees have been behaving like this for years. Nevertheless, it is reassuring to see vertebrates are learning what some … Continue reading →

Posted in Humour | Tagged | 2 Comments

2018 a little recap of interesting posts from Ron Miksha

Posted on January 4, 2019 by Ron Miksha

Originally posted on A Jar of Honey San Jose:
? Ron is a Canadian Beekeeper and active Blogger, trainer and a real asset to the beekeeping world to me. His Blog: https://badbeekeepingblog.com/ I am taking a one year break from…

Posted in Reblogs | Leave a comment

Hot Bee Topics in 2018

Posted on December 31, 2018 by Ron Miksha

Well, what a year for the friends of bees! I give thanks. First, for the bees. Then, my family. I’m also grateful that my body held out for another year. I feel privileged to have readers for this blog, too. … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Give a Gift of Bees – for $35?

Posted on December 30, 2018 by Ron Miksha

Do you have $35 to give to a family so that they can have their own bees? You can bring honey and pollination to someone who needs it. Donate before 2018 calls it a day. Don’t ask me how this … Continue reading →

Posted in Outreach | Tagged | 2 Comments

Beekeeping Barbie

Posted on December 29, 2018 by Ron Miksha

She got her very first Barbie from her Great Aunt Jane. This Barbie is a super cool beekeeping babe with her own bee hive and honey stand complete with an honor system cash register.  I wasn’t sure if we were…

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Outreach, Reblogs, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged | 7 Comments

A Year of Backyard Beekeeping

Posted on December 28, 2018 by Ron Miksha

Regular readers of this blog know that I once kept hundreds of hives in Florida and Saskatchewan. That was a long time ago. Now that I’m all grown up, I’ve got just two colonies in my Calgary backyard. Much more … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Yards, Beekeeping, Honey | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments