Author Archives: Ron Miksha

Unknown's avatar

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.

A Depleted Home

Posted on June 2, 2018 by Ron Miksha

A few days ago, a friend invited me to visit her bees.  In one part of her apiary, there were three hives, neatly lined, single-storey. These hives had started the season as packages five weeks earlier. Two were excellent. They … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Queens | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Palates of Bees?

Posted on May 31, 2018 by Ron Miksha

At the risk of irredeemably exposing my intractable pedantic nature, I have to take five minutes to admonish a gaggle of news reporters for their flawed word choice. I just read a news item, published by the American network ABC, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Humour, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged | 8 Comments

Bees (of a sort) on Postage Stamps!

Posted on May 30, 2018 by Ron Miksha

Canada has something called ‘permanent’ stamps. We call them “P” stamps. The first ones, issued ten years ago, had a small letter P on them, next the the Queen of England’s face. P stamps have become B stamps, at least … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Outreach, Save the Bees | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Ron on PolliNation!

Posted on May 28, 2018 by Ron Miksha

I’m so excited to share a link to PolliNation, the fantastic podcast about . . . Pollination!  This podcast episode features the show’s host in conversation with me! Dr Andony Melathopoulos, the bee scientist running The PolliNation Podcast, invited me … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Friends, Outreach, Pollination | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Peak Dandelion

Posted on May 26, 2018 by Ron Miksha

For a lot of temperate-climate beekeepers, dandelions are the peak of the spring season.  Their bloom marks the point where hives are finally getting much stronger, nectar is pouring in, and the dandelions’ massive gifts are giving a fine boost … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Climate, Ecology, Honey Plants | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

World Bee Day: May 20, 2018

Posted on May 19, 2018 by Ron Miksha

Time to party like it’s 1734 all over again!  May 20th should be a big date on the beekeeper’s social calendar. It’s World Bee Day.  Why did I mention 1734? That’s the year Anton Janša was born. He was baptized … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, History, Outreach, Save the Bees | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Package Hive Update

Posted on May 18, 2018 by Ron Miksha

Three weeks ago, we installed two packages in our backyard.  We started with mostly new equipment, though we had six drawn, white-comb, deep frames for the bees to nest in right away. I considered using 100% foundation and letting the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Beekeepers becoming wary of pollination

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Ron Miksha

  Compared to almonds in California, blueberry pollination in British Columbia is small potatoes. But there are some similarities. Commercial beekeepers migrate long distances from cold northern prairies to the mild coast with thousands of colonies. They are paid for … Continue reading →

Posted in Commercial Beekeeping, Pesticides, Pollination | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Mothers’ Day Honey

Posted on May 13, 2018 by Ron Miksha

Today is Mother’s Day in North America (I think it was celebrated last week in Europe). My kids wanted to make something special for their mum. You see it in the picture above. It was pretty nice. We have two … Continue reading →

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

Kicked out of a farmers market

Posted on May 7, 2018 by Ron Miksha

It can be hard to sell honey. Farmers markets help. Customers looking for good local produce can buy directly from farmers and beekeepers. So farmers markets are a win-win for sellers and buyers. But what if you are a beekeeper … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Honey, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , | 13 Comments