Why do beekeepers argue so much?

[Roland]

It does not help that beekeeping as practiced by most of us, is NOT a team sport. It is just you and a hive of bees. Our minds get conditioned to only think of our own situations, and not that of others.

A wise man said:

" I've been doing this for forty years" all I can think of is that he shoulda quit 39 years ago.


Some days I think he is right. It must take a smarter man to know when to quit.(Yes, us oldtimers are more set in our ways)

Roland Diehnelt, 5th gen. beekeeper
Linden Apiary, est. 1852

[squarepeg]

interesting insight roland.

sounds like a large percentage of your methods have been carried on virtually unchanged for generations, and still producing great results. that's noteworthy and deserves honorable mention.

can you share in what ways, if any, the arrival of varroa affecting beekeeping as your family has known it all these years?

[lazy shooter]

Roland:

Five Generations, what else is there to say. The knowledge of bees passed from generation to generation in your family seems staggering to one of less than two years of experience. If you weren't so **** far away I would come and visit just to hear you speak of bees. What I wouldn't give to walk around your apiary and just let you explain your operation.

One thing for sure, what you have been doing is working.

[cg3]

I used to have a boat in high school. Girls like boats ... it give them a chance to wear that new bikini. Best money I ever spent was on that boat. Of course things were different back then.

You mean, before mites?

[Michael Bush]

>i can't say that i'm able to relate to either of your 'some do....' or 'some don't....' examples
>in my opinion, i see your characterization of the diverse methods as favoring one over the other, even with the disclaimors.

Of course. I have my view of the world and can't help but favor methods in tune with it..

[squarepeg]

understood michael, and you do a great job presenting your position.

i have thought about how much or how little my view of the world shapes my approach to beekeeping, and i guess it has to on some level.

for beekeeping, as with my other pursuits, i find my approaches not easily defined as this or that.

better said, i see problems with taking things to an extreme in either direction.

i do see the downsides in the nonselective and preventative treatment of each colony every season, as well as the downsides of allowing kept colonies to succumb to diseases and pests.

[Keith Jarrett]

I find this particularly true with "senior" beekeepers who are stuck in their ways when they first started 20 years ago.

Auuuu... gee B, I've been practicing this art of beekeeping for over 30 years now.... But I'm not even fifty years old yet, so I'm I in the "senior" club. lol

One thing I always ask myself is, "am I looking at this right" I always try to pull myself back an take another picture to be sure I don't have tunnel vision.

[EastSideBuzz]

Oh wah, oh wah, oh wah
Oh wah, oh wah, oh wah

Why do beeks argue so often?
Why do birds sing to soften?
And honey helps the break the coffin?
Why do they argue so often? (beeks argue so often)


Why does the rain fall from loften?
Why do beeks argue so often?
Why do they argue so often?

Arguing is a losing game
Arguing can be ashame
I know of a fool you see, for that fool is me
Tell me why, why, why, tell me why

Why do they sting to day?
And Bee's await the break of day?
Why do they argue so often?
Why does my hive tool get all messy?

Before I know it she will lay another bee
Tell me why, why, why
Why do Beeks argue so often?

- WHY DO BEEKS ARGUE SO OFTEN? LYRICS

OK here are they lyric's someone else is going to have to put it to music and sing.

[Ian]

|||||>>>>>>>tunnel vision<<<<<<<<<|||||||

tunnel vision doesnt help anything. I farm with my brothers, and we regularly meet through out the month to manage the farm. This discussion and feed back helps avoid the tunnel vision problem that arises from time to time

[Charlie B]

- WHY DO BEEKS ARGUE SO OFTEN? LYRICS
OK here are they lyric's someone else is going to have to put it to music and sing.

[westernbeekeeper]

Oh wah, oh wah, oh wah
Oh wah, oh wah, oh wah

Why do beeks argue so often?
Why do birds sing to soften?
And honey helps the break the coffin?
Why do they argue so often? (beeks argue so often)


Why does the rain fall from loften?
Why do beeks argue so often?
Why do they argue so often?

Arguing is a losing game
Arguing can be ashame
I know of a fool you see, for that fool is me
Tell me why, why, why, tell me why

Why do they sting to day?
And Bee's await the break of day?
Why do they argue so often?
Why does my hive tool get all messy?

Before I know it she will lay another bee
Tell me why, why, why
Why do Beeks argue so often?

- WHY DO BEEKS ARGUE SO OFTEN? LYRICS

OK here are they lyric's someone else is going to have to put it to music and sing.

I know someone who can rap it for you.

[Roland]

Squarepeg asked:

can you share in what ways, if any, the arrival of varroa affecting beekeeping as your family has known it all these years?

I believe the largest effect as genetic. We had been developing, by grafting, our own strain of bee. Nothing super or special, just one that wintered well, expanded well in the spring, produced ample honey surplus, and was gentle. Because of the increased winter mortality from mites, and the subsequent replacement with packages and their queens, all of those genetics have been lost. I believe we are slowly making progress in that direction again. One yard has not had any packages added for five years, but has a couple of mean queens that must be killed every year, and honey production seems a little off also.

Actually, mites are a walk in the park compared to CCD. Mites kill a portion of the hives, CCD is usually around 90 percent. That is on the past now.

I don't think we are doing anything special to be here so long, just more stubborn(read German) than average.

Crazy Roland

[squarepeg]

very interesting, thanks roland.

[Keith Jarrett]

If the topic comes up he give little nuggets of wisdom that some may think tear down the competition but offer no real insight. I was beginning to fall into this trap thinking who is this guy with his "secret recipe" think he is. I wish he'd shut up or offer some real advise. ( don't take it personally). I read every post he made, searched out post of his on Bee-l and learned a lot. Lots of people attacked him and became personally offended that he wouldn't hold thier hand..
Sorry I had to use you as a example.... Hope your not offended!

Take it personally..... Noop, not me. I'm the type that is never quit satisfieded in my work, so I'm alway thinking there something better out there around the corner. You will also very rarely here me boo hoo, that's not to say I don't get beat up at times. You can look at it three ways, (1) Watch it happen (2) make it happen (3) or wonder what the hell just happened. I try to stay away from #3.


http://youtu.be/1H-Y7MAASkg

[Roland]

Unfortunately, ATTEMPTING to explain #3 is the reason we argue so much.


Crazy Roland

[Acebird]

You hit that nail on the head...

[Keith Jarrett]

Unfortunately, ATTEMPTING to explain #3 is the reason we argue so much.

Agreeded,well said Roland. I think you have to get pass the "fluff factor". There was a thread that was pretty hot over on the commercial beekeeping thread talking about ingredients of pollen sub, this one ole boy tooting his horn petty good talking about his pollen mix & mirical dust that he said works great.

Well..... when you google a search it looks like he's the chief spokesman for CCD. So, then I looked up the FSA records only to find out that he's been gettings $100,000 plus check from the gov E-LAP program. So do you want to waste your time arguing with that.

P.S. I tryed to get some of that porgram money but all I could qualified is for crums, They said you didn't have much of a loss.

[BeeCurious]

I think a lot of beekeepers would be less irritable if NUTRA-BEE was more readily available.