Author Archives: Ron Miksha
Are You Giving It Away?
A few days ago, I was shopping at our local co-op grocery store. As usual, I checked the price of honey. I like to use their prices as a minimum guide for honey produced by hobby beekeepers. Here in Calgary, … Continue reading
Fireweed Attraction
Last week, fires in western Canada forced 47,000 people from their mountain homes. Over a hundred houses were destroyed. Livestock, wildlife, even bees went up in flame. Millions of stately pines and firs are now little more than spent matches … Continue reading
YIKES! Small Hive Beetle in Alberta
Two days ago, our apiary inspector announced the unfortunate discovery of the ugly Small Hive Beetle (SHB), species Aethina tumida, in the northern part of our province. I think that this is the first time SHB has been found in … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests
Tagged Alberta, beekeeping, New Brunswick, Ontario, small hive beetles
7 Comments
The Beekeeper Everyone Knows
There aren’t many beekeepers that the whole world knows. No one gets famous for keeping bees. Sometimes a beekeeper becomes locally infamous, but I can’t think of any beekeeper as well-known as, say, Sir Edmund Hillary. He and his climbing … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, History, People
Tagged beekeepers, Mount Everest, New Zealand, Sir Edmund Hillary
18 Comments
Bees with Beards
Ah, the bearded hive. With our current heatwave, beards are in fashion among beehives here in Calgary. Last week, I was called to the home of some new beekeepers. The front of their two-story hive was completely masked by a … Continue reading
Shake, Rattle, Roll: Our Little Earthquake
I live in one of the less shaky parts of the world. I don’t think that Calgary has ever had a damaging earthquake. (Granted, the city isn’t much over a hundred years old, so it’s a short history.) When the … Continue reading
Posted in Friends, Honey, Queens, Science, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged beekeeping, Chile, earthquake
4 Comments
Please Don’t Burn the Bees
Since most people are radically pro-bee, it shocks me when I come across stories about people burning swarms to destroy them. Such arrogance. Such ignorance. Or maybe, pathetic panic is at work. There are always better options than firing your … Continue reading
One Week with a Queenless Hive
Over a week ago, I brought a nuc into my back yard. Twelve days have passed, so there should be an emerged virgin queen inspecting the neighbourhood, looking for boys. My little nuc was intentionally built as a queenless hive. … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Queens
Tagged Calgary, queen breeding, queen cells, queenless hives
17 Comments
Canada: More Buzzing than Ever at 150
Today is Canada’s 150 birthday, so “it’s Canada Day, up Canada way”, as Stompin’ Tom Connors used to say. If you don’t know Stompin’ Tom, here’s your chance to rectify a serious deficiency. Connors was a great Canadian country/folk singer … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, History, Honey Plants
Tagged Canada, Saskatchewan, Stompin Tom
1 Comment
Moving the Bees
Yesterday, I wrote about nuking the bees. Today, it’s moving the bees. My nuc started out on my daughter’s farm, 130 kilometres east of my home in Calgary. That’s over an hour’s drive, out on the prairie, away from the … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Hives and Combs, Tools and Gadgets
Tagged Alberta, moving bees, nuc, wasps
6 Comments
Bad Beekeeping Blog 