[sqkcrk]

That's the question.

 

[peterloringborst]

It has been said that before mites became a significant problem, practically anyone could keep bees without much effort. Now, however, with all the honeybee pests and diseases we are dealing with, a person can not be merely a “bee-haver” but rather he or she must be a “bee-keeper” in every sense of the word.

That is to say, today’s beekeepers must stay on top of various methodologies and treatments in order to maintain their bee colonies. With that in mind, most beekeepers are using what is called IPM or “Integrated Pest Management” practices, in order to keep their bee colonies healthy and vigorous.

-- Fred Hembree, in Farming Magazine. Fall 2009

 

[Beeslave]

Beehaver(behavior)-Someone who can manipulate bees to behave how they want when they want. A very good keeper of bees

Bee Haver(Have[r])-Some one who has bees but cannot manipulate them to behave how they want(should). The bees die, swarm, don't produce surplus honey, become diseased and the beekeeper doesn't know why. Someone who has bees and that is about all they can say about the bee.

 

[sqkcrk]

Seems to me that I am seeing more folks who just want to have bees and that's all.

 

[peterloringborst]

A bee haver is like somebody who feeds wild birds all winter, but then goes to Florida for a week. Somebody who gets a dog and ends up leaving it penned up in the yard. A person who has a real nice car but doesn't know where the dipstick is (or what it's for). The teenager who thinks you can't get pregnant on the first date. A person like my mom who had a VCR but couldn't use it unless somebody else put the tape in for her ...

 

[Beeslave]

Bee Haver's are good customers for the nuc and package suppliers.

A Beehaver becomes the competition(honey sales, bee sales and pollination) for the other Beehavers in the area.

 

[waynesgarden]

....A Beehaver becomes the competition(honey sales, bee sales and pollination) for the other Beehavers in the area.

If they are successful in any of those areas, I think they would qualify for beekeeper-hood.

Wayne

 

[Barry]

It's all just another way to create classes within the beekeeping community. Put some down and bolster others up. I'm a beekeeper.

 

[sqkcrk]

It's all just another way to create classes within the beekeeping community. Put some down and bolster others up. I'm a beekeeper.

Yeah, you are probably right. But are people who have bees helpful to or good for the rest of us who "keep" bees? If they have them and don't take care of them, because they just want to have them around to pollinate the garden, aren't they going to be a source of diseases and pests?

 

[peterloringborst]

If they have them and don't take care of them, because they just want to have them around to pollinate the garden, aren't they going to be a source of diseases and pests?

Haven't bees been taking care of themselves for millions of years? Or at least since the Ark?

 

[laurelmtnlover]

Yeah, you are probably right. But are people who have bees helpful to or good for the rest of us who "keep" bees? If they have them and don't take care of them, because they just want to have them around to pollinate the garden, aren't they going to be a source of diseases and pests?

Seems to me that someone who has a passionate interest and joy in beekeeping, and decides not to use chemical treatments, but monitored the bees and the health of the hive, would assist in developing disease resistant bees and thus contribulte to the world of beekeeping and the environment.

 

[Beeslave]

Haven't bees been taking care of themselves for millions of years?

Yes they did, but there was a time they were slowly introduced to things that would harm them(pests, diseases, etc.) and they kept up with that by the survivors breeding. Now the bees are exposed to too much too fast, going here, going there, and they can't keep up with it. So back to needing a beehaver for the bees and not just a bee haver.

 

[Beeslave]

.. someone who has a passionate interest ..beekeeping, and decides not to use chemical treatments, but monitored the bees and the health of the hive, would assist ... disease resistant ..contribulte to the world of beekeeping and the environment.

This would be a form of a beehaver, a natural beehaver, not a bee haver.

 

[hillhousehoney]

First of all, "beehaver" is not a word. You may use the long "a" sound as in gave or grave. It may also be the short sound as the word have.
Beehaver is colloquial or something like that for what I believe is the word behaving. So a bee haver (short a) could be a person who has bees and does nothing with them. A bee haver (long a) may be someone who is cautious and careful about the health of the bees, as in behaving themselves.
It's all in the pronunciation I think.

 

[peterloringborst]

I worked as a bee inspector for several years. There was this guy who did not want his hives looked at all. "None of the state's business," he said. Well, I insisted, as NYS requires inspection of registered hives and his were registered. OK, he said, but don't open up the nucs.

So I go there, he has maybe 12 hives and that many nucs as well. Right away I start to find AFB. Of course, I checked the nucs, because he had made splits off the sick ones ! I ID'd ten or so. When I told him, he said he would burn them but "Only because I have to."

When the day came to burn them (we waited for a lab test), he yelled at me about opening up the nucs, after he said not to, and told me I didn't know what I was doing. I replied, that he was the one with AFB out of control. "What is your plan for AFB?" I asked. "Aren't you applying terramycin?"

He said "No" he didn't believe in using chemicals on bees, and "anyway that stuff doesn't work." To which I replied, you're right -- it doesn't work if you don't use it. That guy still had AFB the following year, was still blaming it on somebody else.

Just one of many stories like this that all the bee inspectors can tell.

 

[laurelmtnlover]

Because someone decides not to use chemicals doesn't mean that that beekeeper would not be monitoring his or hives, and utilize the responsible interventions.

 

[hillhousehoney]

I believe that this "beehaver" thing is intended to possibly mean what laurelmtnlover has offered.

 

[peterloringborst]

The term "bee haver" has been around a very long time. It refers to people who have bees but know very little about them. Some of these folks would like to learn more and some refuse to learn more.

Another bee inspector story (true): Bee inspector finds hives with queen excluders nailed down! When asked, bee haver says: "I don't go down there"...

Does anybody have "Are you a bee-haver or a beekeeper?" by N Benoit - American Bee Journal (USA), 1975

 

[MichelinMan]

OK. A beekeeper is an excellent bee haver. He cares about them. They're his girls. Shows concern and helps them when needed. Shows restraint and allows nature to run it's course when that is needed. Is constantly trying to improve his art and technique for the bee's sake. Always takes the time to educate folks on the plight and greatness of bees. Promotes local honey. Takes care in his manipulations to not hurt or needlessly disturb his little ones.

I am a beekeeper and love it.

 

[Cedar Hill]

A cheap source of relatively new bee equipment. OMTCW