Category Archives: Hives and Combs

Hive Materials

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Yesterday an e-mail arrived from a European beekeeper. He is new at bees and wanted my opinion about bee things (hive types, honey plants, eco-tourism). One of his questions particularly stood out.  He had found an ad for “honeycomb material” … Continue reading →

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Bees Do the Darndest Things

Posted on November 8, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Janne, a bee-club friend, called one afternoon and described something weird that was going on in one of her hives. She told me that her queen and all the brood had somehow ended up in the tiny space below the … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Friends, Hives and Combs | 1 Comment

The Ultimate Valentine

Posted on February 14, 2015 by Ron Miksha

I know, beekeepers usually are not sentimental. For most of us, Saint Valentine was some mythical character built upon Lupercalia, an occasion observed by the Romans for three days (February 13–15) each year, and intimately connected to fertility. Like many … Continue reading →

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Rustic Hive

Posted on January 28, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Furniture catalogs may have to add a new line – Rustic Hive. If you are like most commercial beekeepers, you’ve used bee boxes for desks, boot organizers, and book shelves. When I was a child, we kept bees on the … Continue reading →

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Cold Bees

Posted on January 10, 2015 by Ron Miksha

It’s not the cold, it’s the humidity. We hear people say this a lot. That’s one reason 20º Fahrenheit (-7º C) in the eastern US can feel a lot colder than -20º in Montana. Generally, it’s the humidity that makes … Continue reading →

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Beehives vs Drunken Elephants

Posted on December 10, 2014 by Ron Miksha

Drunken elephants have been a problem for as long as I can remember. Elephants are known to booze-up, get rowdy, and attack farmers – sometimes even entire villages. A herd of elephants got drunk on rice beer in Assam, India, … Continue reading →

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Hives as Art

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Ron Miksha

North Americans are missing a great canvas. The beehive. Solid, often white and publicly visible, it should be used by artists more often. I’ve been lucky enough to work hives in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and South America. Surprisingly, … Continue reading →

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Hives for Humans

Posted on July 19, 2014 by Ron Miksha

I had not heard of “Hives for Humanity” until yesterday when I stumbled upon an article that talked about a garden in Vancouver where an outfit calling itself “Hives for Humanity” has placed bees. The article goes on to say … Continue reading →

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An indoor hive

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Ron Miksha

I can’t even begin to imagine the clever wit that went into designing this revolutionary beehive. What you see to your right – if you are looking at the hive-gadget rather than the demonstrator – is a new hive design … Continue reading →

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At home in a home

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Ron Miksha

A swarm of honey bees have invaded an Alberta home. Who can blame them? According to one newspaper, the bees were confused by the skep-looking geodesic dome that a rural Canadian family calls home. The bees were confused? Perhaps the … Continue reading →

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