Tag Archives: Alberta

My Failure as a Beekeeper: Part II

Posted on September 4, 2017 by Ron Miksha

Yesterday, I started to describe my rather lousy year as a beekeeper. It began with an intentionally weak queenless hive. I picked it up at my daughter’s farm and brought it into my back yard, here in the city of … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Friends | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

My Failure as a Beekeeper: Part I

Posted on September 3, 2017 by Ron Miksha

I’ve worked with bees for almost fifty years, raising queens, pollinating crops, making oodles of honey.  I grew up in a beekeeping family (so my 50 years started really early). Over that long time period, I worked for some really … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Friends | Tagged , , , , | 9 Comments

Fireweed Attraction

Posted on July 25, 2017 by Ron Miksha

Last week, fires in western Canada forced 47,000 people from their mountain homes. Over a hundred houses were destroyed. Livestock, wildlife, even bees went up in flame. Millions of stately pines and firs are now little more than spent matches … Continue reading →

Posted in Honey Plants | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

YIKES! Small Hive Beetle in Alberta

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Ron Miksha

Two days ago, our apiary inspector announced the unfortunate discovery of the ugly Small Hive Beetle (SHB), species Aethina tumida, in the northern part of our province.  I think that this is the first time SHB has been found in … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Bees with Beards

Posted on July 15, 2017 by Ron Miksha

Ah, the bearded hive. With our current heatwave, beards are in fashion among beehives here in Calgary. Last week, I was called to the home of some new beekeepers. The front of their two-story hive was completely masked by a … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Climate, Humour | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Moving the Bees

Posted on June 30, 2017 by Ron Miksha

Yesterday, I wrote about nuking the bees. Today, it’s moving the bees. My nuc started out on my daughter’s farm, 130 kilometres east of my home in Calgary. That’s over an hour’s drive, out on the prairie, away from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Hives and Combs, Tools and Gadgets | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Nuking the Bees

Posted on June 29, 2017 by Ron Miksha

If you’re a beekeeper, you probably already know all about nucs, the little hives from which big things are supposed to grow. If you’ve made nucs for fun or profit, then you have your own system – maybe two frames … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Hives and Combs | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Miel Carlota – Once the World’s Biggest Bee Farm

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Ron Miksha

One of the world’s largest honey farms was a Mexican outfit started by a couple of guys on holidays from Germany. The Second World War broke out while they were rambling around the Mexican coast, so they stayed for an … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Books, Commercial Beekeeping, History, People, Queens | Tagged , , , , | 27 Comments

Bee’s Eye View

Posted on May 27, 2017 by Ron Miksha

Looking down from a light aircraft gives insights you just can’t match on the ground. At 6,000 feet, you appreciate how close flowers are along a beeline from hive to field. Beeing in the air is useful for a beekeeper … Continue reading →

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How Can I Stop Wasp Attacks?

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Ron Miksha

A few days ago,  I wrote about the way new beekeepers are generally sure about the right way to keep bees while oldtimers are reticent when it comes to answering questions. Sometimes there are a dozen ways to solve a … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests, Stings | Tagged , , | 3 Comments