Has the bubble burst?

[pargyle]

It's the condescending phrase 'more natural way' appended on the end which gets everyone's goat.
If I 'nursed' my bees dressed in nothing but an animal skin loincloth would that be classes as 'more natural' ?

It's not condescending .... or at least it's not INTENDED to be condescending ... I have no other way to describe the minimal interference/chemical free method of keeping bees. If you have a hang up about people who wish to keep bees in an unorthodox way (and what I consider to be a 'more' natural ... ie: chemical free, environment) then I can't do much about that. I don't have a problem with people who keep their bees in National hives and who choose to treat their bees with proprietary varroacide treatments, if that is their choice then I respect it ... why should you have a problem with what other people choose to do ?

In fact, I'm pretty pragmatic and if the ONLY way to preserve a colony was a chemical treatment then I would have no hesitation in using one of the proprietary products - although I would prefer to use chemicals that are found within nature ... oxalic/formic acid etc.

The insinuation (as soon as someone mentions 'natural') is that we are all 'stick 'em in a box and leave 'em to swarm until they die out from an excess of Varroa, in the meantime, affecting every other beekeeper in the area' ~ the truth is usually very far away from this. As for the caricature of a tree hugging, loin cloth clad, living off the state, hippy that is sometimes put forward to describe people who see an alternative to conventional beekeeping ... well, you won't be able to spot me at any events if that's what you are looking for !

We have a 'conventional' beekeeper in our neck of the woods who has a lot of hives which really have been neglected and have presented significant problems - he's not a 'leave alone' merchant - he's just incompetent and lazy.

 

[user 6228]

its things like
Having gone down the TBH/more natural route

That winds a lot of people up, nothing more natural about it, they are kept in a box that you look through.
No offence meant to you.
I have no problem with anything that people keep bees in at all.

Its like people saying they are vegetarian but still eat fish and chicken lol

nuthin natural to a bee about a TBH

 

[user 6228]

How come this got turned into a wind technology thread?
Oh! I see , it's old friend Brossie high jacking yet another thread .
Not much change there then!
VM


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Be fair! he talks bees on Wind tech forums

 

[pargyle]

nuthin natural to a bee about a TBH

I agree ... it's not about the box that they are kept in ... more about the 'management' system ... I know a number of beekeepers who utilise National hives who would describe themselves as 'more natural' in their approach to hive management. If you don't like the terminology then suggest an acceptable alternative that is not going to offend .... I can change !

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's not condescending .... or at least it's not INTENDED to be condescending

I've no doubt you don't mean to be condescending, but that is how a lot of people see it (and i meant the statement in general, not yours personally).
I don't really give a stuff how other people keep their bees, as long as mine are fine and theirs don't affect mine

But let's not kid ourselves neither of our methods is 'natural' or more 'natural' we keep our bees in a box period!

 

[pargyle]

I've no doubt you don't mean to be condescending, but that is how a lot of people see it (and i meant the statement in general, not yours personally).
I don't really give a stuff how other people keep their bees, as long as mine are fine and theirs don't affect mine

But let's not kid ourselves neither of our methods is 'natural' or more 'natural' we keep our bees in a box period!

OK JBM ... we can agree on this - I have to say that I read virtually every post on this forum and I learn from EVERYONE that takes the trouble to post on here ... regardless of our hive management philosophy the one thing that we all share are the bees and the desire to see them survive and thrive...

 

[enrico]

It's not condescending .... or at least it's not INTENDED to be condescending ... I have no other way to describe the minimal interference/chemical free method of keeping bees. If you have a hang up about people who wish to keep bees in an unorthodox way (and what I consider to be a 'more' natural ... ie: chemical free, environment) then I can't do much about that. I don't have a problem with people who keep their bees in National hives and who choose to treat their bees with proprietary varroacide treatments, if that is their choice then I respect it ... why should you have a problem with what other people choose to do ?

In fact, I'm pretty pragmatic and if the ONLY way to preserve a colony was a chemical treatment then I would have no hesitation in using one of the proprietary products - although I would prefer to use chemicals that are found within nature ... oxalic/formic acid etc.

.

I don't often get involved in these arguements but you wound me up here. Why just because your bees are in a tbh do the above comments automatically apply. One could use the same method and belief in any type of hive, and equally one could interfere and apply chemicals to a tbh. Personally I liked the days probably before you were born when we had no need for chemicals but there we go! I wouldn't have been replying by the Internet then!
In fairness I just think you have to be a bit careful how you brand yourself by the type of hive you use! Fair comment? I think so!
E

 

[pargyle]

I don't often get involved in these arguements but you wound me up here. Why just because your bees are in a tbh do the above comments automatically apply. One could use the same method and belief in any type of hive, and equally one could interfere and apply chemicals to a tbh. Personally I liked the days probably before you were born when we had no need for chemicals but there we go! I wouldn't have been replying by the Internet then!
In fairness I just think you have to be a bit careful how you brand yourself by the type of hive you use! Fair comment? I think so!
E

Enrico .... read some of my other posts .... I DON'T !!! By the way ... I'm well into my 60's !!

 

[enrico]

Ok sorry, it was just the way it came across, were you keeping bees before varroa then?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

By the way ... I'm well into my 60's !!

HA! in that case why aren't you not just grumbling over your custard creams and coffee about new fangled newbie beeks andifitwasgoodenoughformeasanipperwhyshouldichangenowasiknowbetterthananyofyoulottryingtotakeoverandruletheroost

 

[pargyle]

Ok sorry, it was just the way it came across, were you keeping bees before varroa then?

My father kept bees for 20 years or so on our allotment whilst I was growing up ... as a young man he taught rural studies in a secondary school and part of that was teaching children about beekeeping. It was VERY different in those days and having come back to beekeeping rather late in my life it came as a real culture shock and a very steep learning curve. But ... Glad to think that at least someone thought I was a spring chicken !!

 

[enrico]

I think I owe you a pint!

 

[pargyle]

I think I owe you a pint!

No ... I think I owe you a couple ... made me feel a bit younger than my creaky knees would have me believe !!

 

[madasafish]

Is this thread for grumpy old men or can anyone join?

 

[victor meldrew]

Naughty JBM ,
Some peeps will take you seriously
VM hopefully


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[pargyle]

Is this thread for grumpy old men or can anyone join?

Grumpy old men EVERYWHERE I go these days !!! My 35 year old son is beginning to describe himself as Grumpy And Middle Aged ... they are known as Gammas in his circle !!

 

[whoosling]

Thankgoodness I'm to new to this game to argue - I do enjoy a good discussion though

 

[pargyle]

Thankgoodness I'm to new to this game to argue - I do enjoy a good discussion though

Well ... what else would you do on a cold wet windy nearly summer evening ! Cheaper than the pub as well ...

 

[richardbees]

Cheaper than the pub as well

especially as Camoron dropped his idea of forcing supermarkets to stop selling reasonably priced booze!

 

[madasafish]

Cheaper than the pub as well

especially as Camoron dropped his idea of forcing supermarkets to stop selling reasonably priced booze!

Aldi Cromwell gin is cheap and won a prize and tastes very good.

I am sure eventually alcohol prices will rise. I will clear loft space for that eventuality.