Author Archives: Ron Miksha
My Failure as a Beekeeper: Part I
I’ve worked with bees for almost fifty years, raising queens, pollinating crops, making oodles of honey. I grew up in a beekeeping family (so my 50 years started really early). Over that long time period, I worked for some really … Continue reading
World’s Weirdest Beekeeping Family
You’ve probably known some weird beekeeping families – maybe you’re lucky enough to live in one. But someone out there is a member of the world’s creepiest beekeeping family. If you want to know more about the worst of the … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Killer Bees, Movies, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged bee movies, Canada, Precambrian shield
7 Comments
I’m Not a Doctor, but…
An acquaintance – someone active in our 400-member Calgary Bee Club – reported that he had an allergic reaction to a sting. He’s been keeping bees quite a few years and he’s had dozens (perhaps hundreds) of stings. Then, a … Continue reading
Posted in Apitherapy, Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Friends
Tagged allergic reactions, bee stings, Calgary Bee Club
16 Comments
Cats and Dogs, Living Together
There’s a scene in Ghost Busters where Bill Murray describes the doom awaiting the world when the captured ghosts are released: “…human sacrifice, cats and dogs living together…” It’s hard to image any fate worse for civilization, eh? Such fear … Continue reading
The Lazy Bees
A friend wanted to name his honey farm The Lazy Bee Apiaries. He even made the proper brand (LBA) for marking his frames and rims. But other beekeepers (including me) told him that bees aren’t lazy. Sometimes beekeepers are a … Continue reading
The Kiwi Beekeeping Podcast is Back!
Returning to the pod-waves after a two-month hiatus, Kiwimana is back. Since May 24, I’ve been suffering mana-withdrawal, but the popular beekeeping podcast released a new episode a few days ago. So, I’ve kicked back and begun to enjoy the … Continue reading
Does the Truth Matter?
I’m back in Canada after a week in Europe. It’s cooler here (21C today) than Hungary’s 39C. It’s been much too dry on the western Canadian prairies – that’s probably going to hurt the honey crop and maybe even the … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, History, Honey, Outreach, Save the Bees
Tagged Canada, Einstein, honey, Hungary, King Tut
14 Comments
When Bees Become Culture
I’m in the central European country of Hungary for a few days. It’s a family visit with no work or particular sightseeing goals. But honey bee culture is everywhere. Perhaps only Utah (“The Beehive State”) and the little alpine nation … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Honey
Tagged beekeeping, Benny the Bee, Franz Liszt, Hungary, Maja the Bee, selling honey, Szeged
4 Comments
Better Bees
Hungary, where I am today, has a long beekeeping history. Honey bees have been part of the ecology for thousands of years. Here, they are indigenous species whereas in the Americas (and Australia, New Zealand, and much of Asia), the … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Climate, Culture, or lack thereof, Ecology, Genetics, Science
Tagged bee races, black bees, Carniolan honey bees, Galtee Queen Breeding, Hungary, Ireland
2 Comments
A Quick Note from Abroad
Want to be a better beekeeper and have a lot of fun in the process? Try exploring new scenery. When I was rather young, I worked for about a dozen beekeeepers – in Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Saskatchewan, Florida, Montana, Wisconsin. Even … Continue reading
Bad Beekeeping Blog 