[78-79fordman]

Well I went to a local beekeeper association meeting for the first time tonite . What a joke it seemed and they where not to friendly it seemed . They didn't seem to know much even thought they seemed to have a big operader or two . It was a questions and answers night and general talk night . Every thing they said I already knew from reading the net and watch videos . Even when I tried to tell the things I had learned or give them advice on like the freeman style beetle trap ( which they didn't even know who jerry freeman is funny when he's in the same state ) that they had there that they built which needed some changes to work better . They thought I was crazy even though I'm building it with a great design . Which y'all know when I build something I build it right and to the tilt.
No one greeted me or anything . Even after they had let the new people stand up during the meeting and introduce them self I figured some would have to come talk to the crazy dude starting with 18 hives .

The only people that where really friendly was visitors form another club like 2 hours away so to far to join it .

So wasn't inpressed with them . Mite go back mite not .

May try another one since I have two with in a hour . Maybe they will be more friendly .


So Beesource is way more informational and friendly .

 

[drlonzo]

Now why would you go and say you're crazy for starting with 18 hives. I'm right there with ya, got 10 now and will have 30 by EOY this year. lol.. Gotta love them bees !

Some people are always grumpy, sure you didn't go to the grumpy ole men's bee club? lol

 

[78-79fordman]

Now why would you go and say you're crazy for starting with 18 hives. I'm right there with ya, got 10 now and will have 30 by EOY this year. lol.. Gotta love them bees !

Some people are always grumpy, sure you didn't go to the grumpy ole men's bee club? lol

Most think I'm crazy with the 18 . But the guys that's helping said 20 hives for starters because they know I want to learn and grow my numbers . They said with 20 hives its not a guess'n game when you have problem u can look at and use the others to watch and fugire out and fix the problems .

No they seemed that they all still had tons to learn and maybe was more about trying to make honey to sell . They may have been intimated by me thinking I was going to cut in there honey sales . But I have been sale'n truck loads of honey for 20 years or more already have my honey business made and there 60 miles away . Im not really all about the honey from my bees . i want them for pollation and just to have . Don't know mite just be the people them selfs . But I know if I would have been the presedent if I seen some new people I would at least talk to them and say hello you know .

Like said mite try them out again mite not . But I figured that they mite be they way .

But just had to post my thoughts on it since everyone all ways says go join your local bee club .

 

[drlonzo]

Well there's always us on beesource.. Myself I love the forum, learn new tricks and there's always someone that can use a helping hand when it comes to being new. I'm like you in many ways, but i've not endured the local bee association yet. lol. I've visited their out of date/non-functional blog website and sorta feel i would be out of place with them. lol.. I've been around bees since i was 18 but didn't get my own till a year ago. Now i've got the "bug/addiction" and plan not so much to have honey, but sell good local bees and pollinate my local area..

 

[78-79fordman]

Well there's always us on beesource.. Myself I love the forum, learn new tricks and there's always someone that can use a helping hand when it comes to being new. I'm like you in many ways, but i've not endured the local bee association yet. lol. I've visited their out of date/non-functional blog website and sorta feel i would be out of place with them. lol.. I've been around bees since i was 18 but didn't get my own till a year ago. Now i've got the "bug/addiction" and plan not so much to have honey, but sell good local bees and pollinate my local area..

Ya here on Beesource is probley more the the place for me . I'm a forum junky . Heck I love it here tons of info and great help . Plus it's a more broad area of people to get maybe a different thing if there trying something new .
I'm not going anywhere . I'm not a shy poster and like to share so my screen name will be around for sure .

But the down fall is the Internet you don't get the hands on . That you can mite get at a club . So I will probley have to try them again or the other . So maybe I can get a little hands on other than mine . If I can get the time for the clubs . That my biggest problem for them is getting away to the club stuff because farm work is sun up to sun down . The forum I can can get on easyer while I'm taking a 15 min break or when ever and never have to leave the farm .

 

[BeeMoose]

I am sure some of the members are of the mind that "Newbees should be seen, not heard".

And probably won't pay your input much mind until they get to know you as more than "a crazy beekeeper".

I was very fortunate. My club opened their arms and accepted my wife and I immediately. Were very friendly and interested in us getting started beekeeping.

I would never try to tell a master beekeeper at the meetings how I do things. He would probably not listen due to my lack of experience. And I understand this.

Give the club another chance and try to mingle and talk to a few of the members. Usually makes it easier to be accepted.

Without the help and training of my club, I would be lost. I also have someone to call about anything anytime.

This being said, I also love this forum as the members have been very helpful in helping me out with questions I have had. That way I get a varied response about the

same problem or question. Invaluable resource for sure.

 

[FollowtheHoney]

I had a similar experience at my first bee club mtg. I was there early, sat alone for fifteen minutes, walked in with the club officers and was not greeted, no one introduced themselves. It was the first mtg after bee school and there was no greeting of new members.

It was otherwise a nice meeting with lots of enthusiasm, but I felt like an outsider. I will probably attend a few mtgs because I would like to meet some local beekeepers.

 

[Lburou]

I am sure some of the members are of the mind that "Newbees should be seen, not heard".

And probably won't pay your input much mind until they get to know you as more than "a crazy beekeeper".

I was very fortunate. My club opened their arms and accepted my wife and I immediately. Were very friendly and interested in us getting started beekeeping.

I would never try to tell a master beekeeper at the meetings how I do things. He would probably not listen due to my lack of experience. And I understand this.

Give the club another chance and try to mingle and talk to a few of the members. Usually makes it easier to be accepted...snip...

As president of our Club, I can tell you that your reputation means a lot. There are those who speak out that are not that enlightened, we will limit a person's input until we gain confidence in them. It is known as ethos. Get some.

P.S. Randy Oliver talks about the beekeeping Taliban here. We do try to be open to input, just looking to curb any ideas that can derail development of new beekeepers.

 

[gunho23]

Just look at what happened to this guy:

http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?297246-Day-1-and-everyone-is-dead-What-happened

 

[Teal]

I like going to the bee meetings to meet other beekeepers. I have learned so much. I have gone to a lot and don't even have bees haha. I am sad that yours was not friendly to you! I know what you mean though, I told one of the guys what I was doing and he pretty much laughed at me and told me I would be doing it wrong. I smiled politely and went about my business. Also one beekeeper flat out said that he doesn't like TF beeks because it makes his bees sick. Made me laugh. People and their opinions! Maybe go again, you'll find some people you like.

 

[gunho23]

Please excuse my ignorance but what is a TF beekeeper?

 

[Andrew Dewey]

Please excuse my ignorance but what is a TF beekeeper?

TF = Treatment Free as in applying no treatments for Varroa, Nosema, American Foul Brood etc.

 

[gunho23]

Thanks, I'm not going to treat....There are natural remedies for most anything.

 

[Andrew Dewey]

An important thing to remember is that BeeSource is not the source of all knowledge. It is a source of knowledge - one which takes some sifting to identify wheat and chaff. I've run across many folks who don't want to or no longer "waste time" with internet beekeeping. There is much knowledge out there already, and expecting a meeting to think you're the new beekeeping clairvoyant (and I am not saying you did this) is a good way to attract cold shoulders. Don't fall in to the trap of disrespecting knowledge gained other than via the internet.

 

[Andrew Dewey]

Thanks, I'm not going to treat....There are natural remedies for most anything.

It is great that you are starting out with this attitude. Take some time to understand what the consequences can be. As a wise person once told me there is live stock and dead stock and I prefer having live stock. Natural remedies may be treatments. Another way of looking at treatments is anything added to a hive in hopes of achieving some result. So added powdered sugar with the hope of stimulating grooming which may lead to a decline in Varroa is considered by some a treatment.

Some natural substances are frighteningly deadly to humans. Don't mistake "organic" as a synonym for "safe and effective" because it isn't.