Author Archives: Ron Miksha
An Apiary in a Box
The image above is from the BeeCube website. Inside that box is an entire apiary. It can be loaded on the back of a truck and hauled off to a new location – wintering spot, spring build-up, pollination, summer honey … Continue reading
Wintering at 50 Below in the Yukon
The Yukon is not usually considered ‘beekeeping country’, but there is some great beekeeping science going on up there right now. Etienne Tardif, an engineer with a fondness for spreadsheets and experimentation, has been keeping bees for 15 years in … Continue reading
Sylvia Plath, the Beekeeper’s Poet
Today, February 11, is the anniversary of the death of a great poet, Sylvia Plath. The daughter of a bee scientist, Sylvia spent her brief life writing about love, loss, disappointment, and nature. Don’t skip this short (20 minute) podcast episode. … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Podcasts
Tagged beekeeping, Sylvia Plath
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Dead Bees in the Snow!
Lots of worrying going on this week, especially after the heavy snow that fell across much of North America. New beekeepers (and some of us old ones) worry when we see ‘lots’ of bees in the snow during winter. The … Continue reading
Arizona was Swarming – in January!
I don’t know a lot about Arizona, but my niece, Monica Miksa King, has been living there for a while and professionally rescues honey bees. So, when my curiosity peaked about bee conditions in the desert during January, I invited … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Honey Plants, Pesticides, Podcasts, Swarms
Tagged Arizona, beekeeping, bees, Pesticides, winter
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The most important beekeeper you never hear of
🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 You probably know that Karl von Frisch figured out how honey bees use their waggle-dance to communicate. He won the Nobel Prize for that and for other studies of bee behaviour. I think it was well-deserved … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Books, Culture, or lack thereof, History, People, Science
Tagged bee brains, Charles Henry Turner
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What’s Blooming in January?
Metrosideros polymorpha, known in Hawaii as ʻŌhiʻa lehua It sometimes fills a heavy super with light honey in January. I’d really like to have this in my back yard because that would mean I would be living in Hawaii. photo … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Honey Plants, Podcasts
Tagged beekeeping, bees, Florida, Hawaii, winter
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Podcast: Ten Best Bee Predictions for 2026
Well, no one can fully predict the future. But we can all try. I just released a new podcast that looks into the crystal ball of bees and beekeeping for 2026. Listen to this short (30 minute) selection of ten … Continue reading
Podcast: 2025 – Ten Bee News Stories
A lot happened in 2025, so I’m ending the About Bees, Culture & Curiosity podcast year (Season 6 Episode 12) with stories from bee news that you might enjoy. Listen to this short (30 minute) collection of some of the science … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Ecology, Pesticides, Podcasts, Science
Tagged bee nutrition, bee viruses, beekeeping, bees, varroa mites
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Podcast: Is All Manuka Honey Fake?
In this podcast episode, I explore whether all mānuka honey is “fake,” tracing its unusual rise from an obscure (and unpopular) New Zealand honey to a globally coveted, heavily counterfeited product. The story begins with a look at the antibacterial … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Honey, Podcasts
Tagged adulteration, beekeeping, bees, manuka, New Zealand
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