Tag Archives: Alberta

What Do You Do with Open Honey?

Posted on September 16, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Yesterday, I droned on and on about how beekeepers who are smart and mature don’t know anything. It’s the new beefolks who have all the answers. I’m not quite at the point where I know nothing, so I’m going to … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Honey, Tools and Gadgets | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Bearspaw Honey Harvest

Posted on September 6, 2016 by Ron Miksha

A friend sent these pictures of some of his honey harvest. It was part of his second pull, taken September 4th.  He says there’s more to gather and he’ll collect it in a couple of weeks. Looks like great quality!  … Continue reading →

Posted in Friends, Hive Products, Honey | Tagged , | 8 Comments

Should a “Bee City” Ban Honey Bees?

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Ron Miksha

In February, Toronto became Canada’s first certified Bee City. This week, a bedroom community just outside Calgary became Canada’s second. I heard the news last night on a CBC radio interview of Dr. Preston Pouteaux, a hobby beekeeper who apparently … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Outreach, Save the Bees | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Saturday at the Hive

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Ron Miksha

I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. It’s a remarkable city. Economist magazine ranks us as the world’s fifth-best city (they place Vancouver and Toronto as 3rd and 4th) while the international agency the Mercer Group says Calgary has the cleanest … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Friends | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Whither the Sunflower?

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Ron Miksha

It can feel a little creepy, sitting on a bench on the edge of a sunflower forest with your back to the sun. In that position, all the sunflowers are looking at you. If it’s morning. The marvel of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Honey, Honey Plants, Science | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Bee Vandals

Posted on August 10, 2016 by Ron Miksha

I’ll never understand vandalism. Theft I understand. I don’t like it, I don’t condone it, I’ve been victimized by it. But I can understand how it might sometimes happen. Vandalism, however, is strange. And stupid. Vandalism is nothing new. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Yards, Beekeeping, Commercial Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Dead bee, in the middle of the ‘shield…

Posted on August 4, 2016 by Ron Miksha

A few days ago, I had a road trip that took me two hours from my home in Calgary. Flying low at 130 kph, I expected to whack a lot of bees on the forehead of my van, but I … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Yards, Beekeeping, Culture, or lack thereof, Humour, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Canola: Canada’s Yellow Carpet

Posted on August 3, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Yesterday I wrote about honey that hurries towards granulation. Canola (the honey plant formerly known as rapeseed) is our local example of quick-setting honey. Canola honey is nice:  white and mild with a slight minty flavour. I like it but … Continue reading →

Posted in Honey Plants | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Friends Among the Bees

Posted on May 7, 2016 by Ron Miksha

I spent a few hours in the bees today. This was part of our bee club’s beginner beekeeping course and I was one of the instructors, showing 50 new beekeepers the mysterious inner workings of our club president’s hives. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Friends, Outreach | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Weird Spring

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Ron Miksha

We are having weird, weird weather here in Alberta. It’s dry as a desert and almost as hot as one. Since January, our temperature has stayed well-above normal. Ten  degrees above normal, in fact. And that’s embarrassing. It’s embarrassing because … Continue reading →

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