Author Archives: Ron Miksha

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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 Penny for my Thoughts

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Ron Miksha

I began blogging in October, 1995 – 21 years ago this fall. In those days, it wasn’t called blogging. It was called “spilling your guts in public.” Of course it was a much smaller public back in the days of … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, History | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Double or Nothing?

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Ron Miksha

A gentleman at our bee meeting posed a challenging question a couple of weeks ago: “What should I do with a weak hive? I think it might be queenless.” Well, it depends, of course. I’m continuing with the series of … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Queens, Save the Bees | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Water in Honey

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Honey is about 80% sugar and 18% water. The rest is minerals and ash*, pollen grains and bees’ wings. The sugars and water come from nectar secreted by flowers. When flowers produce nectar (as a way of attracting pollinating insects … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Friends, Honey | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Sometimes They Get Caught (then gently tapped on their knuckles)

Posted on October 2, 2016 by Ron Miksha

This is a piece about someone in the USA who was caught selling tainted honey. This was not his first brush with the law. The same gentleman, Douglas Murphy, was an executive at American Rice, Inc. when the feds found … Continue reading →

Posted in Honey, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Morgan Freeman’s Bees

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Ron Miksha

By now, most beekeepers have heard that Morgan Freeman is a beekeeper. Morgan Freeman is incredible. Whether you enjoyed him driving over Miss Daisy or just gaining redemption after Shawshank, you likely admired the way the man can perform. I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Outreach, People | Tagged | 8 Comments

Upside-Down Almond Pollination

Posted on September 26, 2016 by Ron Miksha

It’s September, but some beekeepers are just wrapping up almond pollination and moving their bees to canola.  Sounds late. California’s almonds finished in March. Canola blossom ended months ago, too. But not for Australian beekeepers. Here’s a news piece from … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Pollination | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Why do bumblebees follow ferries?

Posted on September 26, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Originally posted on Prof. Jeff Ollerton – ecological scientist and author:
A few years ago I mentioned in my post “Garlicky archipelago” that I had seen bumblebees (Bombus spp.) following the ferry from Southampton to the Isle of Wight, a…

Posted in Ecology, Reblogs, Strange, Odd Stuff | Leave a comment

No bees, no honey, no Rosh Hashanah

Posted on September 25, 2016 by Ron Miksha

No bees, no honey, no Rosh Hashanah. Sweet. The Calgary Jewish Community Centre (JCC) is hosting a “beeswax and sweetness marketplace” this week, Tuesday, September 27th from 3 to 7 pm. Rosh Hashanah – Jewish New Year – begins at … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Honey, Outreach | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Brood in Front of the Hive?!?

Posted on September 24, 2016 by Ron Miksha

I’m continuing with the series of questions which I overheard at a bee meeting a few days ago. Today, it’s dead brood. Here are those questions: My honey isn’t capped. What should I do with it? (I heard that one … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Bee Yards, Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests, Pesticides, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , , , | 10 Comments

Bright Shiny Extractors

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Ron Miksha

I’m continuing with the series of questions I overheard at last week’s bee meeting. Today, it’s the bright shiny extractor. Here are those questions: My honey isn’t capped. What should I do with it? (I heard that one from three … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Tools and Gadgets | Tagged , | 7 Comments