Author Archives: Ron Miksha
Back to the Cave
Not long ago, a friend of mine was on The Caveman Diet. He devoured raw seeds and nuts, burnt meat, and handfuls of fruits and berries. It was probably a healthy diet. But he couldn’t give up either coffee or … Continue reading
Robo-Bees to the Rescue!
Beekeepers are having a tough time keeping their hives alive. So far, they have been succeeding – there are more colonies of honey bees in the world now than there were 20 years ago. (Contrary to hype, honey bees are … Continue reading
Posted in Humour, Pollination, Save the Bees
Tagged advanced technology, almond pollination, Robobees
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Thoughts on Being a Fair Fair Judge
What makes first-class honey? Is it the taste? The flavour? The colour? A lack of bubbly foam, dirt, bee lips, and assorted bee organs? It’s a personal choice, of course. Some like it spicy; some like it mild. But the … Continue reading
Super-strength Beekeepers
Have you heard of the Robo-Suit? Japanese scientists are responding to the problem of creaky-boned farmers in their country by designing muscle suits that can be worn over the farmer’s khakis. Two-thirds of Japan’s farmers are over the age of … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Strange, Odd Stuff, Tools and Gadgets
Tagged aging beekeepers, robosuits
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The Mountain Mystery
Ever wonder why the world has mountains? Where do those things come from? Ask most school kids and they will tell you about plate tectonics – the continents are moving, they bump into each other, mountains are the wreckage from … Continue reading
Under surveillance
Alberta beekeepers have initiated a nation-wide program to monitor the health of Canadian bees. Even though Alberta has been largely untouched by heavy losses (so far), the Alberta Beekeepers Commission wants to stay ahead of potential disaster. Alberta beekeepers lost … Continue reading
Posted in Diseases and Pests, Save the Bees
Tagged Alberta, colony collapse disorder, Ontario, wintering
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Happy Dusty Anniversary
You know what they say about new technology – someone always finds a way to put it to nasty use. Combine airplanes and chemicals, and what could possibly go wrong? Let’s fly back to 1921 and visit a grove of … Continue reading
Posted in Diseases and Pests, Ecology, History, Pesticides
Tagged citrus, Florida, Florida's Natural, poisoned bees
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Beeman Freeman
Morgan Freeman is incredible. Whether you enjoyed him driving over Ms Daisy or gaining redemption after Shawshank, you likely admired the way the man can perform. I really began to appreciate Freeman when I started watching his series of science … Continue reading
Bee People
I previewed a new beekeeping movie, something a little different. I have to give Bee People a mixed review. I’ll walk through some of what I liked, do my thumbs down bit, then try to wrap up with some overall … Continue reading
Posted in Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Movies, Save the Bees
Tagged Bee People Movie
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Our Bees, Ourselves
Interesting Op-Ed column in the New York Times. Mark Winston, a senior prof at British Columbia’s Simon Fraser, wrote about the widespread collapse of honey bees. Winston is one of those super-brains who studied bees and entomology for years and … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Ecology, Pesticides, Save the Bees
Tagged colony collapse disorder, Mark Winston, synergy
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Bad Beekeeping Blog 