Tag Archives: bees

Support the Students

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Ron Miksha

I don’t usually ask readers to help (even with good causes), but you will feel great about this one. The University of Calgary, where I am looking at the interaction between honey bees and native bees, has a smart group … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Ecology, Native Bees, Outreach, Save the Bees | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

EO Wilson, 92, has left the lab

Posted on December 30, 2021 by Ron Miksha

The entire Earth was Ed Wilson’s lab. When his death was announced on Monday, I knew that I wanted to write a few words words in his honour, but I also knew that this would be a difficult task. One … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Books, Culture, or lack thereof, Ecology, History, People, Science | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Malathion and Pesky Bugs

Posted on July 8, 2016 by Ron Miksha

There’s a pesticide causing grief among some hobby beekeepers. No, not the neonicotinoids again (though they’re not without blame). This is an “older” poison. If you are a new beekeeper, you might not have heard of malathion. Malathion is deadly … Continue reading →

Posted in Ecology, Pesticides, Save the Bees | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

African Beekeeping May “Save the Trees”

Posted on June 29, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Rather than “Save the Bees”, it’s “Save the Trees” in central Africa. A story from Zimbabwe reminds us that beekeeping can be very, very good for ecology. Bees (and beekeepers) are saving Zimbabwe’s forests. The country of Zimbabwe, lest we … Continue reading →

Posted in Beekeeping, Ecology, Save the Bees | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The Bees’ Sixth Sense

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Ron Miksha

Bees sense the environment differently than humans. For example,  bees can see ultra-violet colour and distinguish it from violet and white, yet they see red as if it were black. They sense the orientation of polarized light. Their massive compound … Continue reading →

Posted in Bee Biology, Science | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Dozens of Bees

Posted on June 23, 2016 by Ron Miksha

You know that a hive of bees may contain 50,000 insects. You probably also know that you can often open a hive and work its frames with just short-sleeves, sandals, and a bit of smoke. We tend to forget that … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture, or lack thereof, Outreach, Save the Bees, Strange, Odd Stuff | Tagged , , | Leave a comment