Category Archives: Strange, Odd Stuff

Bees flying high

Posted on January 13, 2024 by Ron Miksha

Almost every time I teach a beginning beekeeping course, a student or two comes forward to whisper: “If I move my bees to a patch of cannabis, will I get weedy honey?” I tell them that cannabis buds don’t secrete … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Culture, or lack thereof, Ecology, History, Honey, Honey Plants, People, Personal, Podcasts, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The Synthetic Apiary Revisited

Posted on July 28, 2022 by Ron Miksha

I posted this piece a couple of years ago, but it’s timeless. I was reminded of this blog post when my WordPress splash alarm went off – someone was linking to this page on their own blog. That’s OK, of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Yards, Culture, or lack thereof, Reblogs, Strange, Odd Stuff, Tools and Gadgets | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Riot police battle beekeepers

Posted on January 5, 2022 by Ron Miksha

These Chilean beekeepers chose the wrong place to set 60 colonies of bees. Or maybe the right place, as their plight drew national attention. Four beekeepers were arrested, seven riot police were hospitalized due to bee stings, and at least … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, Culture, or lack thereof, Save the Bees, Stings, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Bees Kill Endangered Penguins

Posted on September 21, 2021 by Ron Miksha

Well, this isn’t a nice story. Apparently 63 endangered African penguins were stung to death by honey bees last week. My first thought, of course, was that the culprit was one of the more vicious African honey bees – Apis … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Killer Bees, Stings, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

It was bees, not the Prince, who pranked the Queen

Posted on April 11, 2021 by Ron Miksha

Well, I fell for this, too. It was too cute. And the story – Prince Philip dresses as a palace guard to prank the Queen of England – was enchanting. But completely wrong. Seems a swarm of bees descended on … Continue reading →

Posted in Humour, Strange, Odd Stuff, Swarms | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Face-off

Posted on January 3, 2021 by Ron Miksha

I was one of the first Facebook users on my block. I’m not usually an “early adapter” – I let others struggle with beta versions, then I move in when the system is actually working. But I heard about Facebook … Continue reading →

Posted in Outreach, Personal, Strange, Odd Stuff | 22 Comments

2020 Rewind

Posted on December 31, 2020 by Ron Miksha

Like an unruly house guest staying far past midnight (and still visiting the liquor cabinet), 2020 should have left long ago.  It’s a year we won’t forget.  A hurricane in an earthquake, delivering volcanic pyroclasts. Our 14-year-old will forever remember … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Covid: Do your bees have the cure?

Posted on June 29, 2020 by Ron Miksha

Well, I hope you enjoyed your break away from my blog. I did. Sometimes its nice to hit that big fat reset button in the middle of the desk. I hit it when my head fell on my desk one … Continue reading →

Posted in Apitherapy, Science, Stings, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , | 24 Comments

Big Bee Meet

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Ron Miksha

This is sort of a public service announcement for Alberta beekeepers. Alberta is a place in Canada, population 4 million, north of Montana, home to the Calgary Stampede, some NHL teams, and the best honey in the world. Deer and … Continue reading →

Posted in Outreach, Personal, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Apimondia 2019: Wednesday (And a scandal)

Posted on September 14, 2019 by Ron Miksha

Wednesday at Apimondia was a more relaxed day for me. I ran into several more friends, looked around the city of Montreal, sat at several talks, viewed more posters, tasted more honey in the exhibition hall, and shared an afternoon … Continue reading →

Posted in Honey, Science, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , | 8 Comments