Category Archives: Pollination

Rotten: Lawyers, Guns & Honey

Posted on January 6, 2018 by Ron Miksha

I’m invariably cautious – even cynical – about beekeeping movies. But I just saw one that breaks the mold and restores faith in the potential for delivering a great story about the honey industry without lies and exaggeration.  The one-hour … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Movies, Pollination, Save the Bees | Tagged , | 33 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

Unseen Pollinators

Posted on November 12, 2017 by Ron Miksha

If you are interested in ecology (and especially pollination), there’s a great piece you’ll want to read on Jeff Ollerton’s website. Dr Ollerton (University of Northampton) has just released a comprehensive paper on pollinator diversity in Annual Review of Ecology, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Ecology, Pollination, Save the Bees | Tagged , | 22 Comments

National Pollinator Week: Shrews and Mongooses, too.

Posted on June 21, 2017 by Ron Miksha

National Pollinator Week is June 19 – June 25, but summer is an odd time of year to celebrate pollinators. The big honey bee migration to California’s almonds ended in March. Bees, birds, bats, and butterflies have finished their work … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Honey Plants, Humour, Pollination, Save the Bees, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Return to PolliNation

Posted on June 15, 2017 by Ron Miksha

Last month, I mentioned a great new podcast, PolliNation. It’s produced by Andony Melathopoulos, a university professor at Oregon State. The PolliNation podcast series is very nicely produced and Andony has a voice made for podcasting. As a bonus, he … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Friends, Outreach, Pollination, Queens | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

PolliNation Podcast

Posted on May 18, 2017 by Ron Miksha

Here’s a great new podcast. I’ve just listened to the first episode (twice!). If all the future episodes will be as good as Episode 1, PolliNation will be a great resource and a fun listen for beekeepers.  Since beekeepers spend … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Friends, Outreach, Pollination, Save the Bees | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Bee Rustling Undone

Posted on May 15, 2017 by Ron Miksha

Ever been robbed? I have. It’s a pretty sick feeling when you realize that someone has broken in and taken your stuff.  Imagine how a Montana beekeeper felt when he entered his apiary to work his bees but almost 500 … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Pollination | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

A Two-minute Pollinator Break

Posted on October 28, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Jonathan sent a link to this little video. It was filmed in northeastern France (in Marne) this summer. He says it took Mukibrain about a month to film, edit, and compose the accompanying music. In this lovely little piece called … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Ecology, Pollination | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Upside-Down Almond Pollination

Posted on September 26, 2016 by Ron Miksha

It’s September, but some beekeepers are just wrapping up almond pollination and moving their bees to canola.  Sounds late. California’s almonds finished in March. Canola blossom ended months ago, too. But not for Australian beekeepers. Here’s a news piece from … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Pollination | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Almonds Doing Selfies

Posted on May 6, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Almond pollination season is over. The billions of bees working in California have moved on. They are now mostly scattered across the American plains. It’s not easy to be a bee in the almond groves during February and March. Colony … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Genetics, Pollination | Tagged , , | Leave a comment