Tag Archives: Alberta

Canada’s Hive Beetles

Posted on March 11, 2016 by Ron Miksha

A couple of nights ago, Alberta’s chief apiculturist spoke at our local (Calgary) bee club meeting. Close to 150 people turned out to hear Dr Medhat Nasr give us a recap on the status of Alberta beekeeping and the status … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Diseases and Pests | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Alberta is Beekeeping

Posted on March 10, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Last night, the Calgary and District Beekeepers Association hosted its monthly general meeting. About 150 people showed up. To accommodate the growing membership and big turnout, our club’s president found an affordable and spacious new meeting hall near the Bow … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Friends, Outreach, Save the Bees | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Bumper Crop

Posted on February 12, 2016 by Ron Miksha

The numbers are in and the prize goes to Alberta. Alberta, a province in western Canada, has once again won the prestigious honey production award. For those of us who learnt beekeeping where 50-pound crops are the norm (in my case, … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Honey | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Winter Wonderland

Posted on January 7, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Every month I try to meet friends in a village called Bragg Creek. It’s just a half hour drive from my home in Calgary. It gets me out of town and up close to the mountains. When I get there, … Continue reading →

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

Chinook Honey and Mead

Posted on October 9, 2015 by Ron Miksha

Friends of ours have a honey-wine shop in the town of Okotoks, just a few minutes  south of Calgary. They make their own mead from their own honey. They do it really well. Art retired from flying commercial airliners to … Continue reading →

Posted in Friends, Hive Products, Honey | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Smoky Bees

Posted on August 26, 2015 by Ron Miksha

My home town – Calgary – is under a smoke advisory. The sky is hazy with smelly gray smoke from the trees, grass, and homes that are on fire down in Washington state. Those fires are about 700 kilometres (500 … Continue reading →

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

Some Mountain Beekeeping

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Ron Miksha

A month ago, friends invited me to see some bees at a ranch up in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. Beekeeper Stephen, a fellow geophysicist, guided us as we meandered the secondary roads west of Calgary. We gradually gained … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Yards, Beekeeping, Friends | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Here Comes the Sun

Posted on January 3, 2015 by Ron Miksha

If you are in the far north, your bees are not quite at mid-point in their winter marathon. But days are getting longer. It is amazing how bees – and flowering plants – recognize even a few minutes of extra … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate, Queens | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Posted in Hives and Combs, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Neonicotinoids and western Canada

Posted on September 16, 2014 by Ron Miksha

I am still trying to understand why neonic-otinoids have not been a problem in western Canada. 40% of all seeded crops in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta are canola. And 100% of the seed is treated with neonics. So, at least … Continue reading →

Posted in Honey Plants, Pesticides, Save the Bees | Tagged , , | 2 Comments