Author Archives: Ron Miksha
Fishing Bait That Eats Plastic
Hundreds of diseases and pests attack honey bees. One of the oldest known hive invaders is the wax moth. Aristotle had trouble keeping them out of his hives so maybe you do, too. Wax moths come in two flavours – … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests, Science, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged beeswax, environment, plastics, wax moths
9 Comments
Billy Bee and Doyon – Canadian Honey Forever
Professional Canadian beekeepers know the names of honey packers Jack Grossman and Paul Doyon. Jack started Billy Bee Honey; Paul’s label was regional (mostly Quebec) and his product was/is called Miel Doyon. During the 1970s and 1980s, I sold honey … Continue reading
Burt’s Cabin Tour
Burt Shavitz, of Burt’s Bees, died two years ago. A photographer (for Life and Time) from Manhattan, he settled near Bangor, Maine, in the 1960s. There, he discovered beekeeping. Although Maine is one of the worst places in North America … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Hive Products, People, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged Burt Shavitz, Burt's Bees, Maine
3 Comments
Supporting “Painting the Bees”
It’s pretty hard to pry money out of my pockets. Unless you’ve got something really great going on that can use a little support. The Good of the Hive is one of the worthy ones. It aims to bring awareness … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Ecology, Outreach, Save the Bees
Tagged bee art, crowd-funding, Matthew Willey, The Good of the Hive
2 Comments
Have These Kids Found a Way to Kill Varroa?
I am a skeptic when it comes to ‘miracle’ cures to fight varroa. I think that the various expensive heat/sauna systems are a waste of time and money. A lot of natural treatments (icing/powdered sugar; essential oils; screened bottoms) are … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests, Save the Bees, Science, Tools and Gadgets
Tagged crowd-funding, First Lego Competition, varroa mites
14 Comments
March for Science (revisited)
So, how’d the March for Science go? I’ll admit that it went better than I expected. My fear (expressed in Friday’s blog) that the effort to support science would be hijacked by a political agenda was only about one-third true. … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Friends, Outreach, Save the Bees, Science
Tagged beekeeping, March for Science
5 Comments
March on Down?
This weekend, we celebrate Earth Day. And why not? There are official days for glazed spiral ham (April 15), chocolate covered cashews (April 21!), and bee sting enthusiasts (March 30). So, Earth should have a day of celebration. As a … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Outreach, Science
Tagged bumblebees, Earth Day, endangered species, March for Science
3 Comments
World’s Sweetest Honey
The April 2017 issue of the world’s best bee magazine (American Bee Journal) published a piece written by your favourite bee-blogger (me). My article is called America’s Sweetest Honey. In it, I describe why honey from different flowers tastes different. … Continue reading
Humungus Bee Meeting
I thought that there can’t possibly be so many people curious about beekeeping. But there are. It’s great to see lots of folks interested in bees, ecology, the environment, and the sport of beekeeping. But the numbers amaze me. New … Continue reading
Posted in Diseases and Pests, Friends, Outreach
Tagged American Foulbrood, bee medications, Calgary Bee Club, Medhat Nasr, New Zealand, varroa mites
7 Comments
Judgement Day for Aggie Days
Calgary (Alberta, Canada) has an annual “Aggie Days” with goat-milking, sheep-shearing, rope-making, corn-mazing, and bee-keeping on display. As our city becomes larger (about 1.2 million now) and less connected with its farming and ranching roots, it becomes almost a novelty … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Friends, Honey, Outreach
Tagged Aggie Days, Calgary Bee Club, honey judging
6 Comments
Bad Beekeeping Blog 