BBKA Basic exam

[Newbeeneil]

And there were still drivers around who drove before there was a test.

My uncle, who was in the military during the 2nd WW, passed his driving test in a tank!.

 

[Malcolm B.]

My uncle, who was in the military during the 2nd WW, passed his driving test in a tank!.

How did he get on afterwards when parking in small car parks????

 

[Newbeeneil]

How did he get on afterwards when parking in small car parks????

Never asked him but since most car parks in London post war were bomb sites, I would think there were no marked bays!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

How did he get on afterwards when parking in small car parks????

just drove his tank straight over the other vehicles

 

[Malcolm B.]

just drove his tank straight over the other vehicles

That's what I was wondering!

 

[pargyle]

And there were still drivers around who drove before there was a test.

Judging by some of the driving standards I see in my neck of the woods there are still a lot of people about who, if they have passed their driving test, could do with a serious refresher course .... or in some cases... be permanently banned from driving anything !

 

[plain_hunt]

Crikey, I didn't know there was a wrong way! This is really sapping my confidence after 51 years in the apiary......

There isn’t, but if, when assessing, they are crushing bees, or likely to break the ends off the frame, (mine are seconds and sometimes have a knot in the wrong place), I do show them other ways of using it. But there is no WRONG way as such.

 

[Murox]

There isn’t, but if, when assessing, they are crushing bees, or likely to break the ends off the frame, (mine are seconds and sometimes have a knot in the wrong place), I do show them other ways of using it. But there is no WRONG way as such.

Yes there is always 'another way', very well said.

 

[Erichalfbee]

hen assessing, they are crushing bees, or likely to break the ends off the frame,

I’m sure Murray has banned j tools.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I’m sure Murray has banned j tools.

he has. I think the damage is caused when people use them as levers to lift frames out, it's especially an issue when using Langs (been there, done that) in fact, they are wrongly described as frame lifters with more than one supplier, when they should only be used as horizontal levers to separate frames.

 

[Moobee]

Glad that Christine shared a similar positive experience to mine [also recent] with the exam. My motivation was to thank those who ran the Improvers course. The exam is an incentive to consolidate learning and the old adage about asking 10 beekeepers a single question and getting 12 different answers was illustrated again to me as the examiner disagreed with my replacing the QE exactly as I found it. Interesting that we had discussed whether the slots run parallel or transverse to the frames on the course, and concluded that either way worked, but put it back as you found it... I was asked things I thought that were beyond the syllabus; some I had considered - so it was another learning experience. I wanted to improve and the exam was an opportunity to do that. Worth doing. Will I want to do more exams? Not convinced.

Oh that is funny. I had the same thing at my Bee Diseases exam when I put the QX back in the same position. Our apiary manager is very experienced so I said I did it like that so as not to upset him! Seemed to be OK as I passed....

 

[user 23149]

There are a number of the reasons that I don't like "the modules". Perhaps the most important is that I feel the syllabus is actually very poorly defined, but I think they also demand knowledge that in the real world is completely irrelevant to almost all beekeepers.

What I have found useful however is looking at the "recommended reading" lists for the modules. After reading a few books chosen from the lists in combination with personal recommendations I've found they have greatly increased my understanding and led me to challenge many of the common beekeeping "myths" that are even now repeated on beginner courses.

James

I am intrigued, James - what 'myths' would you say are still being perpetuated? I went to a talk where we were told that if we needed gloves for an inspection then we were doing something WRONG with our bees. Not sure what he was smoking his bees with beforehand but I would be keen to have some too. Sometimes cranky bees are just cranky.
My personal beef with my association is their strong/excessive 'by the rules/by the book' attitude and also their need for all these modules. I had the audacity to suggest 'beekeeping for dummies' as a good beginners book and they sneered me down with 'it's not a recommended book on the SBA website'. And another issue with set honey where I was told I was completely wrong, that's not what the books say.

 

[JamezF]

I am intrigued, James - what 'myths' would you say are still being perpetuated?

Oh, we had a whole thread about them a while back:

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/beekeeping-myths.44342/
There are some others that I kept meaning to add to that, but I can't recall what they are for the moment.

James

 

[user 23149]

he has. I think the damage is caused when people use them as levers to lift frames out, it's especially an issue when using Langs (been there, done that) in fact, they are wrongly described as frame lifters with more than one supplier, when they should only be used as horizontal levers to separate frames.

Not sure I would completely agree. I have langs and they don't come with the runners so the lugs sit directly on the box ledge which makes them hard to get out, esp if the bees are particularly propolis-prone. I will use the J tool to lever up one end just high enough to grab it if I am having trouble getting it out - but not LIFT it out. I would agree that it shouldn't be used to completely lift it out, one wouldn't have good control of the frame.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I will use the J tool to lever up one end just high enough to grab it if I am having trouble getting it out -

I think if you have a team lifting frames repeatedly through more than one season it makes sense to avoid j tools and possibly breakage. Remember Murray’s frames are cleaned and re used for years.

 

[Newbeeneil]

If you use castellations in the brood box….. you have to lever them up!
I use a combination tool which includes a j tool.

 

[drex]

Rarely do I see the flat blade of a J tool used to separate frames and break the propolis seal. They all use the J to lever up the lugs. I simply explain they could break the lug, if heavily propolised, and show them flat blade technique .

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

At least they are allowed to use a lighter or matches to light the smoker nowadays.
And not the trusty old flint and steel

 

[Moobee]

Not sure I would completely agree. I have langs and they don't come with the runners so the lugs sit directly on the box ledge which makes them hard to get out, esp if the bees are particularly propolis-prone. I will use the J tool to lever up one end just high enough to grab it if I am having trouble getting it out - but not LIFT it out. I would agree that it shouldn't be used to completely lift it out, one wouldn't have good control of the frame.

Use the j tool like a can opener to lever the frames sideways and break the propolis seal before you try to lift up. Saves breakages and prolongs the life of your frames!

 

[Moobee]

At least they are allowed to use a lighter or matches to light the smoker nowadays.
And not the trusty old flint and steel

I thought you had to rub two sticks together?