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Is Beekeeping broke?

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50K views 168 replies 27 participants last post by  snl 
#1 · (Edited)
I constantly hear people argue various beekeeping practices saying how can it be wrong, beekeepers have been doing it for X number of years.

This evokes the sacred law of "If it ain't broke don't fix it"

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.

Even when it comes to a topic such as overwintering, a beekeeper is happy if 50-70% of their hives make it (in my region). There is room for improvement. Technology is allowing us to monitor much more inside a hive, who knows what we can learn. People may argue that science and technology have done a lot to hurt beekeeping, but please don't confuse gained knowledge with how people have chose to use it. (I'm not necessarily advocating wires and batteries in hives, just don't hate on research and ideas.)

The main argument I have with this reasoning is how stagnant it is. I believe we should always be striving to improve, and I hope you all do to. 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.
 
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#145 ·
Realist. I have talked to a number of well known, intelligent beekeepers and researchers and they tell me they don't know. They have suspects and they know what doesn't cause it. But they haven't found enuf things found incommon in the supposedly CCD killed hives.

Maryanne Frazier says it isn't one thing that it is the culmination of all the things which have happened since varroa arrived here including whatr beekeepers have done to theiur hives, how modern agricultiure has changed (no or fewer hedge rows), and the over use of pesticides in the lawncare industry. But, let me repeat, but, there is no one reason, no smoking gun and worse off, no silver bullet.

That's not pessimism, thems the fax as I see them. I don't think that's a speck of saw dust in my eye, but I could be wrong. Can anyone see it and help me get it out?
 
#146 ·
I agree, I have read and heard the same things, it's not a single cause. Your statements implies nobody is going to figure out what causes CCD because there is more than one cause. It's very hard to find causes by trial and error when there are multiple variables involved. When your intelligent beekeepers and researchers tell you they figured out what causes CCD will you believe them?
 
#147 ·
When your intelligent beekeepers and researchers tell you they figured out what causes CCD will you believe them?

Those who I have faith are worthy of trust and belief. But I will still want some reason to believe beyond sayso. Trust but verify. But, it doesn't much matter if I believe someone if what they say is true and accurate. If it is it will become evident.
 
#148 ·
I have laughed so much during this thread...not at anyone just at the funny way all the parallel posts are interweaving and all the interesting historical themes, political, religious, everything! Am loving all the personality that has come through the posts as well...has been feeling like being at a really good party where you hear a whole bunch of interesting/funny conversation going on around you and you know at the end of the party you'll have a lot to talk about on the car ride home.

Mark, what is it with guy beekeepers and quilting? I have never heard you mention this before! There is a guy in our club who also quilts but we knew him as a beekeeper for 10 years before we found out that not only does he quilbt but has an entire floor or his house for a studio...his wife had her own quilting studio on another floor....she wasn't a beekeeper.

Ramona
 
#149 ·
Mark, what is it with guy beekeepers and quilting? I have never heard you mention this before! There is a guy in our club who also quilts but we knew him as a beekeeper for 10 years before we found out that not only does he quilbt but has an entire floor or his house for a studio...his wife had her own quilting studio on another floor....she wasn't a beekeeper.

Ramona
I'm glad you noticed and asked Ramona. I don't know.

My wife was teaching a quilting class under the local Williamsburg City Recreational Department, so I tool the class. I haven't sewn much since, but I used to embroider when I was a teenager. So I was hand sewing my quilt peices while listening to lectures. Those sexist pigs were insulted by my quilting, supposedly not paying attention, yet women commonly knit while at Church or watching movies or all sorts of things, klickety klacking knitting needles. Who knew how loud and distracting silent sewing was so distracting.

I'm glad we could entertain you.
 
#153 ·
many thanks barry, not just for the reply, but for keeping beesource going.

i'll be sending you an email requesting access to tg per instructions on the link above.

how seriously should i take 'poster beware'?

am i finally going to find out what people really think about me? :)
 
#154 ·
Tg is the Beesour e equivalent to taking it outside. I thought about going there once but only briefly. Decided it was one of those places my Mom warned me to stay away from.
 
#155 ·
:eek: yikes! that bad huh?

beesource has been my first and only foray into social media. i don't facebook, youtube, ect.

it's interesting. i feel like i have made friends here, and learned a heck of a lot about beekeeping.

jim, if i get hopelessly trapped in tg and need rescue, can i count on you to get me out? :)
 
#156 ·
:eek: yikes! that bad huh?

beesource has been my first and only foray into social media. i don't facebook, youtube, ect.
TG is probably the most literate place on BeeSource. TG is not there for us to make friends.... but seems like we do anyway. Just come prepared to defend your argument... no one is going to insult you... it is quite different than it used to be.
 
#164 ·
No one who gains access to TG is forced to participate and you won't even see anything listed on Today's Posts or anywhere, unless you have Posted on a TG THread. You have to go to TG to see if a new THread has appeared there. It has always been something someone would have to open to see what's going on, just like any other Thread or Forum, which is why I don't understand why people are so threatened or intimidated by TG.

squarepeg, you don't have to go to Tailgater to find out that no one likes you. :)
 
#165 ·
squarepeg, you don't have to go to Tailgater to find out that no one likes you. :)
:D thanks mark, and just when i was holding out hope that maybe that's where they all were!

you are correct about tg not showing up on the regular list when you look at 'what's new'. i just created a new 'favorites' button on my browser.
 
#167 ·
It looks more to me as though it has run its course. Until you posted...it had been a couple of days since anyone bothered and since yours (and mine) are both off topic...I'm thinkin' this horse is dead.
 
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