Author Archives: Ron Miksha
Honey for a year-old’s Birthday?
Please folks, don’t feed honey to babies. Just like spinach and sandbox bugs, honey may (rarely) contain botulism spores. Today I heard about a huge celebrity bash in Washington, D.C., for a one-year-old’s birthday. It bugged me that the birthday … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Honey, Humour, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged botulism, honey, National Zoo, panda
3 Comments
Saturday at the Hive
I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It’s a remarkable city. Economist magazine ranks us as the world’s fifth-best city (they place Vancouver and Toronto as 3rd and 4th) while the international agency the Mercer Group says Calgary has the cleanest … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Friends
Tagged Alberta, extracting, honey house, Neil Bertram
1 Comment
Whither the Sunflower?
It can feel a little creepy, sitting on a bench on the edge of a sunflower forest with your back to the sun. In that position, all the sunflowers are looking at you. If it’s morning. The marvel of the … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Honey, Honey Plants, Science
Tagged Alberta, circadian rhythm, honey, sunflower
1 Comment
Zombees in Canada
I wish I had good news. Canada’s first confirmed case of zombees has appeared – on Vancouver Island, out in the Pacific. Hundreds of kilometres from my home in Calgary. Zombie zombees, like the human kind, are undeads who are … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Biology, Diseases and Pests, Ecology, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged Apocephalus borealis, bee parasites, Vancouver Island, ZomBees
2 Comments
Identifying the “Wild Bees” in John Clare’s poem – UPDATED
Originally posted on Prof. Jeff Ollerton – ecological scientist and author:
John Clare is one of the most celebrated English poets of rural landscapes and nature in the 19th century. To quote his biographer, Clare was “the greatest labouring-class poet that England…
Posted in Reblogs
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Bee Vandals
I’ll never understand vandalism. Theft I understand. I don’t like it, I don’t condone it, I’ve been victimized by it. But I can understand how it might sometimes happen. Vandalism, however, is strange. And stupid. Vandalism is nothing new. The … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Yards, Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests
Tagged Alberta, beehive vandalism
2 Comments
Another Reason to Avoid Walmart?
Sounds like a drug deal gone wrong. They met at a Walmart parking lot to do their business, the public panicked and three bystanders ended up at hospital. It turned out to be a sting operation. The deal was a … Continue reading
Posted in Humour, Stings, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged accidents, bee stings, Oklahoma, Walmart
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Rooftop Bees
There’s a jolly fat man up on the roof. With a smoker and hive tool. Rooftop beekeeping seems modern, trendy, and new, but it’s been happening for generations. Ever since homes had rooftops. I’m surprised there isn’t a Rooftop Beekeepers … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Yards, Culture, or lack thereof, Humour, Outreach, Save the Bees
Tagged Bee Yards, Einstein, Laureen Harper, New York City, rooftop beekeeping
4 Comments
Dead bee, in the middle of the ‘shield…
A few days ago, I had a road trip that took me two hours from my home in Calgary. Flying low at 130 kph, I expected to whack a lot of bees on the forehead of my van, but I … Continue reading
Posted in Bee Yards, Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Humour, Strange, Odd Stuff
Tagged Alberta, dead bees, dead skunk, windshield bees
2 Comments
Canola: Canada’s Yellow Carpet
Yesterday I wrote about honey that hurries towards granulation. Canola (the honey plant formerly known as rapeseed) is our local example of quick-setting honey. Canola honey is nice: white and mild with a slight minty flavour. I like it but … Continue reading
Posted in Honey Plants
Tagged Alberta, Canada, canola, glucose, granulation, map, rape seed
2 Comments
Bad Beekeeping Blog 