Category Archives: Hive Products

Waxing in the Waning Days of Summer

Posted on September 15, 2021 by Ron Miksha

Our summer is drawing to a close. After record-breaking heat, we’re now getting seasonal temperatures (though no frost yet, which is unusual). Fortunately, we are having some much-needed rain. In the heat of summer, I set up our solar wax … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Hive Products, Tools and Gadgets | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Propolis vs Covid

Posted on January 22, 2021 by Ron Miksha

I think propolis is the most underrated product of the hive. Bee stings can be a wonderful therapy for autoimmune disorders while honey and pollen are wholesome foods with strong and vocal advocates. Meanwhile, I think that royal jelly is … Continue reading →

Posted in Apitherapy, Hive Products, Science | Tagged , , | 16 Comments

Visit the UK National Honey Show – Free!

Posted on October 21, 2020 by Ron Miksha

I’ve always wanted to visit the UK National Honey Show, renowned as the ultimate in honey judging. But, it’s in the UK and I’m in Canada. Well, because of COVID-19, the event has moved on-line and we all have a … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Hive Products, Honey | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Apimondia 2019: Taste the honey!

Posted on September 11, 2019 by Ron Miksha

Apimondia has honey. There are probably some serious honey trades going on among the world’s buyers and sellers visiting Montreal. The rest of us are getting small tastes of Slovenian acacia, Alberta white alfalfa, Chilean ulmo, Chinese jujube, and Argentine … Continue reading →

Posted in Hive Products, Honey | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Fish Cooked in Beeswax

Posted on June 24, 2018 by Ron Miksha

Why not?  I’d love this!

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Hive Products, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Mothers’ Day Honey

Posted on May 13, 2018 by Ron Miksha

Today is Mother’s Day in North America (I think it was celebrated last week in Europe). My kids wanted to make something special for their mum. You see it in the picture above. It was pretty nice. We have two … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Hive Products, Honey | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

2017: The Year in Bee Review

Posted on December 31, 2017 by Ron Miksha

As 2017 draws to a close, let’s look back at the year’s best beekeeping stories. With lower honey prices in 2017, some beekeepers left the business and colony counts fell a little.  Back in 2016, I reported that honey bees … Continue reading →

Posted in Apitherapy, Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Diseases and Pests, Friends, History, Hive Products, Honey, Honey Plants, Killer Bees, Movies, Outreach, People, Pesticides, Pollination, Queens, Save the Bees, Science | Tagged | 6 Comments

Burt’s Cabin Tour

Posted on April 26, 2017 by Ron Miksha

Burt Shavitz, of Burt’s Bees, died two years ago. A photographer (for Life and Time) from Manhattan, he settled near Bangor, Maine, in the 1960s. There, he discovered beekeeping. Although Maine is one of the worst places in North America … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Hive Products, People, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

World Apitherapy Day

Posted on March 30, 2017 by Ron Miksha

On March 30, we usually celebrate World Apitherapy Day at our house by eating fried drone brood seasoned with dandelion pollen and buckwheat honey while receiving a few intentional bee stings on our finger tips. What a fun day! I … Continue reading →

Posted in Apitherapy, History, Hive Products, People, Stings | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

One more thing about Chinese honey. . .

Posted on January 19, 2017 by Ron Miksha

Occasionally, we take honey from the hive too early. It’s bad honey – some beekeepers call it “green”. High in moisture, and maybe not fully enzymatically converted by the bees. Nectar is ‘wet’ – sometimes 90% water and just 10% … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Hive Products, Honey, Science | Tagged , , , , | 14 Comments