Category Archives: Beekeeping

Smokers, beware: Smoke or no smoke?

Posted on June 28, 2018 by Ron Miksha

Smoke or no smoke?  Good question. It surprises me that there are beekeepers who have completely forsworn smokers. Such quixotic folks ply their trade without smoke, believing (perhaps correctly) that a bee smoker invalidates the organic status of their honey. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Tools and Gadgets | Tagged , | 32 Comments

Minding the June Gap

Posted on June 23, 2018 by Ron Miksha

I ran this piece last year, but it’s worth repeating. After the natural spring bouquet has begun to fade, honey bees may become hungry. The hives are (usually) strong with lots of brood. If there is a long gap between … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Ecology, Honey Plants | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Package Bee Population

Posted on June 3, 2018 by Ron Miksha

Yesterday, I wrote about bee populations in a hive that starts as a package.  The original bees slowly die while the number of new bees, arising from eggs laid by the package’s queen, rapidly increases. In yesterday’s example, the immigrant … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Queens, Science | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

A Depleted Home

Posted on June 2, 2018 by Ron Miksha

A few days ago, a friend invited me to visit her bees.  In one part of her apiary, there were three hives, neatly lined, single-storey. These hives had started the season as packages five weeks earlier. Two were excellent. They … Continue reading →

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

Ron on PolliNation!

Posted on May 28, 2018 by Ron Miksha

I’m so excited to share a link to PolliNation, the fantastic podcast about . . . Pollination!  This podcast episode features the show’s host in conversation with me! Dr Andony Melathopoulos, the bee scientist running The PolliNation Podcast, invited me … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Friends, Outreach, Pollination | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Package Hive Update

Posted on May 18, 2018 by Ron Miksha

Three weeks ago, we installed two packages in our backyard.  We started with mostly new equipment, though we had six drawn, white-comb, deep frames for the bees to nest in right away. I considered using 100% foundation and letting the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Psst. Wanna make some money?

Posted on May 1, 2018 by Ron Miksha

Most hobby beekeepers keep bees for fun, not profit.  But almost every beekeeper whom I’ve ever met tells me that, well, it would be nice to hear the cash register jingle once in a while. Bird-watchers or golfers rarely expect … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Books, Commercial Beekeeping | Tagged , , , | 20 Comments

First day with the bees

Posted on April 29, 2018 by Ron Miksha

On Friday evening, just after the sun had set, we installed two packages of bees. Earlier in the day, we arranged six drawn-out deep brood frames (purchased from Scandia Honey, a very reputable bee farm in our area), two new … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Welcoming some new friends

Posted on April 28, 2018 by Ron Miksha

The bees arrived. It was getting late. I was getting anxious. But just after the sun settled for the night, my friend Mark arrived with our two packages. He brought us 13,637 worker bees and two queens. We counted them. … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Tools and Gadgets | Tagged , , , | 12 Comments

The Perfect Place for Bees

Posted on April 27, 2018 by Ron Miksha

An easy way to intimidate a new beekeeper is to read the list of requirements for a perfect apiary.  Here’s my list. It’s not comprehensive. But even as a starter, it’s menacing: Your bees should be: In partial shade: avoid … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Yards, Beekeeping, Humour | Tagged , , | 8 Comments