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.

Does Royal Jelly Make Royal Queens?

Posted on December 6, 2015 by Ron Miksha

The kids in the Grade 5 classroom knew all about royal jelly. “The bees feed it to their babies and they turn into queens.” And so it is. We think. Royal jelly – countless journal articles (and Wikipedia) tell us … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Genetics, Queens | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Bees, Beer, and Dead Mites

Posted on December 3, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Can beer save the bees? No, but with enough beer, bees may not care that mites are crawling all over them.  There have been headlines over the past month suggesting that beer will save the honey bees, but that’s not … Continue reading →

Posted in Diseases and Pests, Save the Bees | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Bees Do the Darndest Things

Posted on November 8, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Janne, a bee-club friend, called one afternoon and described something weird that was going on in one of her hives. She told me that her queen and all the brood had somehow ended up in the tiny space below the … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Friends, Hives and Combs | 1 Comment

Time and Time, Again

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Most North Americans moved clock hands back last night.  Others in the northern hemisphere did this a week earlier. Meanwhile, some folks in the southern hemisphere did the deed in the opposite direction. Others never changed to Daylight Saving Time, … Continue reading →

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

Halloween Trick and Treat

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Ron Miksha

If you grew up in the British Isles or North America, you probably dressed as a ghoul or a super-hero each year on Halloween. For those of you outside the sphere of Celtic autumn rituals, you might not know that … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Diseases and Pests, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Bee Time, for the Third Time!

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Well, this is the third time that I’ve written about Mark Winston’s latest book, Bee Time: Lessons from the Hive. I don’t usually do three reviews on the same book – so I am not going to review it at … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Culture, or lack thereof, People | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Naturally Imperfect

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Ron Miksha

This might be old stuff to you, but our local grocer has started selling imperfect apples. It’s about time. My kids, who are properly brain-washed, love the smallish bruised apples and understand that these specially priced (Cheaper!) fruits are better … Continue reading →

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

Staying the Course

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Ron Miksha

I had a great time helping teach Beginning Beekeeping to 40 new beekeepers this weekend. Our local bee club, Calgary and District Beekeepers, organized the 2-day event. I was invited to speak for three hours about Spring and Summer Hive … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Outreach | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Bees on a Caffeine Buzz

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Ron Miksha

     Video:  Dr Couvillon shows that caffeine tricks honeybees into working harder. It seems bees may suffer from the same drowsy morning moods and weary fatigued afternoons as their human cousins. And it may be similarly cured with a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Ecology, Honey Plants, Pollination | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Chinook Honey and Mead

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Friends of ours have a honey-wine shop in the town of Okotoks, just a few minutes  south of Calgary. They make their own mead from their own honey. They do it really well. Art retired from flying commercial airliners to … Continue reading →

Posted in Friends, Hive Products, Honey | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment