Category Archives: Culture, or lack thereof

Going native

Posted on June 12, 2014 by Ron Miksha

A Calgary University professor has this to say about urban beekeepers: “It is not as rosy as they think. Every jewel* of honey that they get on their plate or in their jars is a jewel that has been robbed … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Ecology | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Running for Betty

Posted on June 5, 2014 by Ron Miksha

This weekend is Calgary’s ALS benefit. Calgary-area readers of this blog are invited (urged!) to head over to North Glenmore Park and “Run for Betty.” 20 years ago, Betty died from ALS, aka Lou Gehrig’s Disease. She was an avid … Continue reading →

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

Did I goof up, or what?

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Last week’s blog post drew a few interesting responses. Not from Monsanto, whom I expected would be outraged because I wrote that it is perhaps justifiable to vilify “the huge multinational for all manner of environmental ills.” Instead, incredibly, the … Continue reading →

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

The bees’ funeral

Posted on May 25, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Dead bees are back on the evening news. Last night our national news broadcaster, the CBC, had relatively extensive coverage of a honey bee funeral in Toronto. These Canadian heroes, encountering death in the line of duty, were celebrated with … Continue reading →

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

The Empty Beekeeper

Posted on April 20, 2014 by Ron Miksha

At first it felt a bit creepy when my wife texted this picture of an empty beekeeper holding my book. Then I was flattered. My wife was attending the Calgary Science Fair where our son’s entry (a behavioural-science study) was … Continue reading →

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The Royal Bee?

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Ron Miksha

English royalty dropped by for tea in New Zealand. You know how hard it is to find that special gift for out-of-town visitors? Well, try entertaining a prince and his family. The Royals probably have everything they need. Probably. So … Continue reading →

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World Apitherapy Day

Posted on March 30, 2014 by Ron Miksha

March 30 is World Apitherapy Day. It is celebrated on this day because it’s the birthdate of one of the most important early promoters of happy bee stings – a chap named Filip Terč, whom you see glaring at you … Continue reading →

Posted in Apitherapy, Culture, or lack thereof, History, Stings | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Ecological Boldness

Posted on March 23, 2014 by Ron Miksha

“Corporate profits trumping ecological needs,” according to the National Farmers Union’s own website. That rather provocative statement is from the NFU’s Vice President of Policy, Ann Slater. Remembering the days when much of the NFU’s musings were simply echoes of … Continue reading →

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Sochi Beekeepers

Posted on February 22, 2014 by Ron Miksha

As I was watching the CBC evening national news, I was startled to see a piece on beekeeping near Sochi, Russia. The reporter talked about a group of folks called the Adyghe (Ah-dee-gee), or Circassian, people who have lived in … Continue reading →

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Madonna and Bee?

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Andy Warhol proved that the mundane soup can qualifies as art. In some people’s eyes. A friend sent to me a link to an E-Bay art sale: Madonna and Bee. I suspect the less I say about this, the more … Continue reading →

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