Category Archives: Bee Biology

You thought bees were vegetarians?

Posted on August 25, 2019 by Ron Miksha

Well, looks like another sacred truth has been shattered. Bees eat beefy little microbes as part of their regular diet. Never again will I stand in front of a class of new beekeepers and implore them to marvel at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Diseases and Pests, Ecology, Pesticides, Save the Bees, Science | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Feel like a MOOC?

Posted on August 24, 2019 by Ron Miksha

You can never know too much about bugs.  That’s why I signed up for Bugs 101, offered by a rival school, the University of Alberta. (That’s up in Edmonton – I’m in Calgary, at a different, and arguably warmer, closer,  … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Ecology, Outreach | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Laying worker, new queen, or both?

Posted on June 4, 2019 by Ron Miksha

Following on yesterday’s post about laying workers, I thought I should add this important caveat.  If you have a new queen (from a split which was given a young caged queen, for example), you may occasionally find multiple eggs in … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Queens | Tagged , | 5 Comments

At least one of these bees is a laying worker

Posted on June 3, 2019 by Ron Miksha

At least one of the bees in the picture above is a laying worker. Can you spot her?  I can’t. But if you read this post to the end, you will have the answer – and a really nice bonus, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests, Queens, Science | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Are you listening to your bees?

Posted on May 26, 2019 by Ron Miksha

Experienced beekeepers approach their hives as one might enter a church or temple. With quiet respect. Once there, we listen. That’s an important part of our role.  The listening beekeeper knows in an instant if the colony is queenless or … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests, Tools and Gadgets | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Every bee has a job: a short National Geographic video

Posted on March 23, 2019 by Ron Miksha

National Geographic, the society of nature, geography, and the occasional bewildering cause, posted this short clip today. It explains the stages of ‘bee jobs’ that change with a honey bee’s age. Among its rabbit-hole nuggets, the film mentions that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Movies, Outreach | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Turner’s (belated) Birthday

Posted on February 4, 2019 by Ron Miksha

I can’t believe that I missed reminding you yesterday that it was Charles Turner’s birthday. Here’s the story of the man who figured out that honey bees can think. 🐝 🐝 🐝 🐝 You probably know that Karl von Frisch … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Books, Culture, or lack thereof, History, People, Science | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Dr Warwick Kerr, the “Man Who Created Killer Bees”, has died

Posted on September 15, 2018 by Ron Miksha

It is with regret that we report that the humanitarian, geneticist, and scientist, Professor Warwick Kerr, passed away this morning, September 15, 2018. He was six days past his 96th birthday.  Dr Kerr, a Brazilian bee scientist, had one of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Culture, or lack thereof, Genetics, People, Queens, Science | Tagged , , , , | 32 Comments

A Bee ID Expert

Posted on August 4, 2018 by Ron Miksha

How well do you know bees? Not just honey bees, but all the other ones – masons, carpenters, diggers, sweat, cutters, bumblers, and the other many thousands of species. If you are like most of us, not so well. There’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Outreach, Save the Bees, Science | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Prolonging the sweet taste

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Ron Miksha

Most nectar-supping insects land on a flower, take a bit of nectar, then fly off. But bees are different. They hang around the flower, sometimes gorging for ten seconds or more, if there’s enough nectar. Why the difference? Scientists think … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Science | Tagged , , | 10 Comments