Beekeeper Attitude Survey - grateful for your input

[BCBEE]

Bees are great - its people who cause all the trouble.

I have always had it in the back of my mind to one day keep bees after seeing my grandad in norfolk keeping them. So in 2011 i took the plunge.


Its turned out to be much more involved than i though but i am not scared of that. I am enjoying the past season more than the first and my confidence is now higher. Last year 2012 was great and I manger to get 30lb of honey despite leaving a super full on.

the one think i notice about beekeeping is all the conflicting advice. If you ask someone what should i do the opinions are often very polarised. This leads me to think that often theres no right or wrong way inlots of things

Phill

 

[djg]

Bees are great - its people who cause all the trouble.

I have always had it in the back of my mind to one day keep bees after seeing my grandad in norfolk keeping them. So in 2011 i took the plunge.


Its turned out to be much more involved than i though but i am not scared of that. I am enjoying the past season more than the first and my confidence is now higher. Last year 2012 was great and I manger to get 30lb of honey despite leaving a super full on.

the one think i notice about beekeeping is all the conflicting advice. If you ask someone what should i do the opinions are often very polarised. This leads me to think that often theres no right or wrong way inlots of things

Phill

And may I introduce a new beekeeping "type" for your consideration: I note the tendency for some people to seek to attach themselves to positions of prominence in local BKAs (at the expense of more experienced, less "needy" beekeepers) in order to associate themselves with the univeral love and popularity which honeybees currently enjoy in the popular consciousness. Over-communication with the Press is a classic symptom of this condition.

Good for them! As a happy beekeeping member of two associations, my observation is that it may be emotionally therapeutic for the people concerned, but in my experience it has very little to do with the craft of beekeeping.

I'm sure that psychologists have a word for it....

 

[oliver90owner]

If you ask someone what should i do the opinions are often very polarised.

That is where you need to do some analysis of the 'conflicting' advice. Often you would find one party could not quantify/justify why it should be done their way - only 'that's the way I was taught/shown' or 'I have always done it that way'. Other times you may find one party gives no option but the way they do it.

An example here is winter oxalic acid trickling - some say you must do it or your bees will die and there is no other way. Others are more honest and say do it if it is needed, or if you really must, but they don't try to stuff it down your throat without discussing the alternatives which do work perfectly as well.

Same as insulation over the colony. 50p for a sheet of insulation versus a kilogram of sugar is 'no contest' to me on the simple economics, let alone it being better for the bees (even though they can survive without that insulation, in many cases).

I say always ask for qualification and then make up your own mind, for your particular circumstance. So what you 'should' and what you 'can' do are not necessarily the same.

 

[kathrynat]

I got accidentally thrown into beekeeping nearly four years ago. Before that I hadn't even given it a second thought. My adult son(29) decided he wanted to keep bees and like all children lost interest after a couple of months. Mummy (me) thought somebody should look after his semi abandoned pets, read a few books and I haven't looked back. I love it, I wish I had been thrown into it years ago. I also find it satisfying, frustrating, very stressful and sometimes downright terrifying.

 

[george]

I had a long term interest in beekeeping before taking it up . It was a polar opposite from my previous hobby of 20 odd yrs co driving rally cars .

I fancied a change of pace obviously !
G

 

[Excession]

As a boy I grew up with a bedroom filled with bugs in jars... Much to my sisters disgust.
I was always fascinated with all forms of insects, I have had to grow up since - but beekeeping seems to be an adult extension of my childhood fascination...

 

[Eric knockalt]

Went to Gormanston 5 years ago and met some fantastic beekeepers whose enthusiasm for their bees was just great to hear ,had an Aunty from stirling who,s grandad had bees and she used to tell me stories of him and his bees that made me want to have bees sometime ,So down to good stories about an old beekeeper ,"Valentine Johns",that i know have my bees and the ups and downs of every season ,and as usual can,t wait for this years fun to begin ...........bring on that first sting .

 

[beebopalula]

If I did not keep bees, I would have to find another bottomless pit to throw money into.

 

[Talking With Bees]

Great stories. Inspirational. Bring on 2013. Thanks to those that voted. Some more would be great.

 

[richardbees]

djg

...I would hazard a guess as to which of your two associations you are referring to!

 

[djg]

djg

...I would hazard a guess as to which of your two associations you are referring to!

Hi Richard,

While the acronym for both BKAs is the same, you are correct in guessing that my comments specifically refer to the grander of those two.

One other (on-topic) comment: at my advanced age, there are few things which I find myself doing for the first time ....in my 5 years of beekeeping, there are many things which I have found myself doing for the very first time. One of the many joys of beekeeping !

 

[madasafish]

Hi Richard,

While the acronym for both BKAs is the same, you are correct in guessing that my comments specifically refer to the grander of those two.

One other (on-topic) comment: at my advanced age, there are few things which I find myself doing for the first time ....in my 5 years of beekeeping, there are many things which I have found myself doing for the very first time. One of the many joys of beekeeping !

At my advanced age, I do things which I have forgotten I have already done ...

 

[alanf]

While the acronym for both BKAs is the same, you are correct in guessing that my comments specifically refer to the grander of those two.

I think most of us outside the inner circles picked up what you meant.

 

[jp19sqn]

My reasons for becoming a beekeeper are varied. I had a very high octane job in the military where for 18 years I had to constantly perform at the limits of human performance as a fighter pilot. Constantly being sent to mop up some mess caused by tinkering politicians. Then when I was 39 and way too old to carry on, I left to fly bucket and spaders on their holidays instead. During that time I got involved in paragliding and visited Nepal where I learned about the demise of the Vulture population and took steps to help with their conservation. That brought me into contact with other folks into ecology and as part of this new interest I read an article about honeybees. One thing has led to another and now I view my beekeeping as offering me 3 rewards. A hobby which contrasts completely with my former life, a feeling of doing my bit in perhaps the most important arena of conservation on the planet and a means of getting some pin money in retirement to keep me in sweets and comics. It always feels like a step back into the past whenever I am working with my bees, stepping from a scene in Top Gun to one from Heartbeat. Sooooooo peaceful and yet challenging of body, mind and spirit but at the pace of one mile per hour....Perfect!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I had to constantly perform at the limits of human performance

Know what you mean there JP.

But now SWMBO's too engrossed with running the country to bother me

 

[thepliedes]

Yes, I have the Ladybird book on beekeeping - really delightful, which is what beekeeping can be sometimes and sometimes...not! LOL

 

[beeno]

For me it was the thrills, spills and adventure aspect. I wanted to be active, collect swarms and have an excuse to climb a tree whilst I still can. Now I particularly enjoy the therapeutic aspect of beekeeping sitting at the hive entrance and see all the different coloured pollen going in and smelling the honey on a balmy summer's day. Let's hope I get to harvest some this year as I am still buying it from Sbury's!

 

[BobsBees]

jp19sqn
I too was in the RAF, but my contribution was to keep you up there, Airframe mech. landplane. Meteors,Hunters,NF11,Javelin,Swift,Venom then a change to the last of the Comets,Hastings,Bristol Britannia. 87 Sq, 46 Sq. RAF Lyneham.

Just crossed my mind how many honeybees you must have sucked into your air intakes over the years, probably more than you have had STINGS? What a good way to dispose of the Varroa mite.

Now retired from all that stuff, this year I WILL GET MY FIRST free TV licence, so on yer bike Cameron. You might take it away later, but at least I will get it for 1 year. Ha Ha.

Anyway enjoy your Beekeeping, if you get even half the pleasure I have had so far you will be doing something for everyone as well as yourself.
Bob.

 

[madasafish]

jp19sqn

Now retired from all that stuff, this year I WILL GET MY FIRST free TV licence,
Bob.

Congratulations..

Downhill from now on I believe...

 

[victor meldrew]

Got mine August watch this space, I can see it being forfeited in the we're all in it together economies !
VM