Is Beekeeping broke?

[ken rice]

Refcreened bottom boards.I started beekeeping using sbb with oil pan. This was kinda new (oil pan) when I started. I keep the pans in 12months a year. Pulling the pan without opening the hive can tell you a lot about what's going on inside without cracking the lid. The years I have been keeping bees I will have to say the oil keeps shb in check and have found many different critters in the oil I may not have known about without taking down boxes and looking. I now build my own bb with oil pan. I have 30 or so hives and for me,I wouldn't put bees on anything else. Only my opinion and what works for me

[Joes_bees]

funny how so many people can't read this thread without feeling the need to add their findings on screened bottom boards.

[Ian]

>>With the constant battle against Varroa mites, systemic pesticides, aging number of commercial beekeepers, CCD... the list goes on, I would argue that beekeeping is broken.

And yet beekeeping still is going, and going strong. innovation and persistence, anyone who continues to keep bees and continue to make a go out of it must be doing something right.
To imply that something is broken mean that something needs to be fixed. What exactly needs to be fixed?

[beemandan]

funny how so many people can't read this thread without feeling the need to add their findings on screened bottom boards.

Sorry Joe...my fault.

[beemandan]

My impression is that the "science" is compromised in the view of majority of beekeepers at beesource. Most of the people are skeptical about science.

Sergey, I suspect that you may be projecting your opinion on the rest of beesource. Don't worry....it happens all the time.

[cerezha]

Sergey, I suspect that you may be projecting your opinion on the rest of beesource. Don't worry....it happens all the time.

well... I guess... I just made conclusion based on my personal experience - I could not speak for others... it was very interesting experience, but unusual (to me)...

[sqkcrk]

The world around us is constantly changing. Beekeeping experiences new challenges and scientific breakthroughs every year. If you are not adapting your beekeeping practices and staying up to date with the latest research, beekeeping may not have a place in the future.

To a greater or lesser degree it has always been thus. Historically speaking our current situation is not a new phenomenon. Epidemic AFB and Isle of Wight Disease are just two examples.

[beemandan]

And by the way....beekeeping may not be broke but I know a number of beekeepers (one near and dear to my heart) who are.

[sqkcrk]

how about if they involve more work, less production, and there are still bees for future generations to keep?

Do you really think that anything we as beekeepers might do would keep there from being bees in the future for future beekeepers? At the hights of CCD there were no shortages of bees for those who wanted them. There has actually been growth amongst those who have need of bees in almonds and other crops.

[sqkcrk]

Sergey, I suspect that you may be projecting your opinion on the rest of beesource. Don't worry....it happens all the time.

He is a Scientist. He knows things most of the rest of us only think we knoiw, such as the Scientiufic Process. Sergey's training and education give him a certain point of view. I can only imagine him rolling on the floor laughing at times when faux science is talked about by nonscientists.

[The Honey Householder]

We all find what work for each of us. Some just do it for fun of it and other do it for the fun of it with a pay check. Sorry just a honey producer not a beekeeper.

[sqkcrk]

I am an equipment and product mover. I only work bees part of the time.

[libhart]

It seems to me that modern society is less-and-less interested in "how thing works?"

I'm often extremely curious in this way. I simply find that most of the times this happens I can look up the answer on the internet because the answer has already been found. And if by chance the answer hasn't been found, I could find the answer if I had $10,000 to fund experiments, but I just don't have that laying around to satisfy my curiosity.

Most of the "scientific" articles I've read are just data-collection.

Agree w/you there. There are reasons for this, but still mulling this over in my head.

[cerezha]

... I can only imagine him rolling on the floor laughing at times when faux science is talked about by nonscientists.

I wish to have such amount of humor... unfortunately, I am deadly serious about my specialty. Beesourse is very interesting to me project - I learned a lot from it... mostly about people. People are extremely nice... Nice to hear from you again, Mark.

[sqkcrk]

And you as well Sergey.

[Acebird]

When I joined Beesource I did not have the expectation of a science think tank. I wanted to hear from other people what they are doing and then I would ask why in most cases. If their way of thinking made sense to me then that is what I would do or try first. Many times I have stated my opinions, some agree and some do not. That is a public forum and that is what you should expect from a public forum.
If you are a scientist and you want to discuss scientific theories it would be easier to do that amongst your peers not on a public forum. But certainly your ideas should be welcomed on a public forum as well as anyone just keeping bees.

Science is not dead today, far from it. The world is moving so fast these days it is hard for the older generation to keep up. Bees are just not a high priority for most scientist.

[Rader Sidetrack]

The world is moving so fast these days it is hard for the older generation to keep up.

You were doing just fine with your post till you got to this part. Just consider that you could just have easily written:

"The world is moving so fast these days it is hard for some people to keep up."

I don't particularly want to engage you in a battle over this issue, but this kind of lack of thinking is exactly how it gets started.

Do you have any evidence that "older" people have more difficulty than "younger" people with science?. There are plenty of technophobes (or head in the sand types) out there at every age. I do agree that whatever your age, science and technology is moving fast enough that no individual can keep up with all of it.

[snl]

I am an equipment and product mover. I only work bees part of the time.

I'm a pilot. I pile it here and pile it there and pile it everywhere!

[Joes_bees]

Do you really think that anything we as beekeepers might do would keep there from being bees in the future for future beekeepers?

.... YES.

And I agree Rader, I was very impressed with Acebirds post, but leave the age stereotype out of it.

[Acebird]

Do you have any evidence that "older" people have more difficulty than "younger" people with science?.

Like it or not the brain slows down as you get older. You can accept that or not but the deterioration of the brain will continue until it ceases to function. Everyone is destine to get dementia or Alzheimer if you don't die from something else first.