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.

Bad Beekeeping Competition

Posted on July 11, 2016 by Ron Miksha

I came across a blog posting titled “Bad beekeeping” over at ScienceBlogs.com. I was concerned that someone had picked up on my nomen – not that I have universal rights on the bad beekeeping phrase. But I wrote the book … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Hives and Combs, Humour, Save the Bees | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Don’t Step on a Bee Day

Posted on July 10, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Today is Don’t Step on a Bee Day.  See if you can keep it up all week!

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Humour, Save the Bees | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Malathion and Pesky Bugs

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Ron Miksha

There’s a pesticide causing grief among some hobby beekeepers. No, not the neonicotinoids again (though they’re not without blame). This is an “older” poison. If you are a new beekeeper, you might not have heard of malathion. Malathion is deadly … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Pesticides, Save the Bees | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Honey Food Stuff

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Ron Miksha

I was sorting a few pictures and ran across some honey/bee foodie things I thought I’d share. When people find out that you work with bees, you inevitably end up receiving bee gifts. Wasp-shaped butter trays, pollen-encrusted soap bars, stingers … Continue reading →

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

Canada Day in the Land of Honey

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Happy Birthday Canada!  149 years ago, the Fathers of Confederation signed the paperwork that began the Canadian experience. I always figured it was kind of those politicians to give us a summer holiday that suits a beekeeper’s calendar. Across most … Continue reading →

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

African Beekeeping May “Save the Trees”

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Rather than “Save the Bees”, it’s “Save the Trees” in central Africa. A story from Zimbabwe reminds us that beekeeping can be very, very good for ecology. Bees (and beekeepers) are saving Zimbabwe’s forests. The country of Zimbabwe, lest we … Continue reading →

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

The Bees’ Sixth Sense

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Bees sense the environment differently than humans. For example,  bees can see ultra-violet colour and distinguish it from violet and white, yet they see red as if it were black. They sense the orientation of polarized light. Their massive compound … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Science | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Dozens of Bees

Posted on June 23, 2016 by Ron Miksha

You know that a hive of bees may contain 50,000 insects. You probably also know that you can often open a hive and work its frames with just short-sleeves, sandals, and a bit of smoke. We tend to forget that … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Outreach, Save the Bees, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Say, Have You Heard About That Thermosolar Hive?

Posted on June 21, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Originally posted on The Prospect of Bees:
Picture from thermosolarhive.com The fundraising effort for this new hive technology is not flooding the internet as the FlowHive did, perhaps because there is no dramatic visual like the infamous pancake video. Just…

Posted in Reblogs | 2 Comments

The Price of Honey

Posted on June 18, 2016 by Ron Miksha

The price of honey has been falling for over a year. Honey is such a strange commodity. It’s agricultural. It’s ubiquitous (produced on all but one continent). It’s easily transported. Doesn’t need refrigerated. Doesn’t spoil (though quality may diminish with … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, History, Honey | Tagged , | 6 Comments