How many bee years are you upto?

[Antipodes]

There isn’t how many have you got my fairy friend ?

Does the amount make any difference?

You are really interested in learning and working your bees. You also are a keen nature observer from what I've seen on here so in your case, I think the numbers of colonies is important in gaining knowledge and experience.

 

[pargyle]

There is little, if any, correlation between the number of colonies you have and the numbers of years you have had them. You can learn as much from running 10 colonies well as you can from 100 colonies badly. You accumulate knowledge from seeking knowledge out not from the length of time you spend doing something, I know some excellent beekeepers who have had three or four colonies for five years and some dreadful beekeepers who have managed to get to 80 colonies in the same time....

Anyone who believes that the number of colonies they run, particularly in the first few years, is going to make them a better beekeeper is deluded.

The ability to acquire knowledge is a very personal business - we all learn differently - beekeeping is almost unique insomuch as we are are working husbandry with a wild organism; a great deal depends on your ability to understand and read the signs of a multi level, occasionally anarchistic, unpredictable, social organism and attempt to predict and then manage fluid situations. It's not like keeping chickens or pigs or even growing your own fruit and veg, not everyone has that ability and not everything can be taught.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

It's not like keeping chickens or pigs or even growing your own fruit and veg, not everyone has that ability and not everything can be taught.

Also true to say It's not unlike ...

I hadn't started long in beekeeping when I took a real aversion to round-the-room self-introductions where beekeepers give their vital stats: 'I've been keeping bees for n years and I have x colonies.'

For a while I enjoyed stating my low figure stats. Now I find something completely different to say.

Edited. What is it about missing out negatives when writing

 

[ericbeaumont]

Anyone who believes that the number of colonies they run, particularly in the first few years, is going to make them a better beekeeper is deluded

Not quite: a greater number of colonies leads to a better opportunity for mistakes, which = more rapid learning, if one is so inclined.

 

[elainemary]

Afternoon, bee years are worked out as follows 1 hive per year .
Since 2020 I’m up-to 320 bee years which I thought was a lot I know some of you are in your thousands
Perhaps I should have done a poll?

Do you mean :
Years beekeeping x number of hives (average per year) = bee years

So mine would be 7 years (by this May) x on average 7 colonies per year (less in early years, more now) = 49 bee years

Think it’s a better measure @Curly green finger's than the usual question “ how long have you been beekeeping for”?

However doesn’t take into account how many apiaries ( different sites give different opportunities to learn). Also doesn’t take into account factors like how inquisitive you are, how open to trial new things , how much reading and experimentation you do, how much networking and listening to experienced beekeepers. These are all opportunities to learn and make mistakes and also find what works for you & your bees = learning and in time = bee wisdom

Still it’s a good question to ask I think

 

[Curly green finger's]

That was Aristotle!
He reckoned that man would have to live to 3,000 to know everything about bees.
Knowing next to nothing, I am quite content to learn in perpetuity.

Well it was something I’ve heard from a few other beeks I must of miss read what you wrote.
And I agree learning from bees is endless 320 years 3000 it’s endless .

Do you mean :
Years beekeeping x number of hives (average per year) = bee years

So mine would be 7 years (by this May) x on average 7 colonies per year (less in early years, more now) = 49 bee years

Think it’s a better measure @Curly green finger's than the usual question “ how long have you been beekeeping for”?

However doesn’t take into account how many apiaries ( different sites give different opportunities to learn). Also doesn’t take into account factors like how inquisitive you are, how open to trial new things , how much reading and experimentation you do, how much networking and listening to experienced beekeepers. These are all opportunities to learn and make mistakes and also find what works for you & your bees = learning and in time = bee wisdom

Still it’s a good question to ask I think

your on the money there Elaine, i mean I’ve been keeping bees since 2017/18 but only a few at the time when I started, I heard it first from fellow association members and I wasn’t really putting it out there that I was more experienced at all it was a rhetorical question if that’s the right word, learning from bees is endless as Eric said.
Thanks for your reply

 

[Erichalfbee]

it was a rhetorical question if that’s the right word

Yes and no?
It's a question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Yes and no?
It's a question asked in order to create a dramatic effect or to make a point rather than to get an answer.

Down the line then, damn I better get the dictionary back out

 

[enrico]

4,000,000,000,000,000,000

 

[Curly green finger's]

4,000,000,000,000,000,000

You sure you do not want to add another three 000

 

[Newbeeneil]

4,000,000,000,000,000,000

I think Curly’s question was related to hive years rather than “bee years” or you have taken it a bit too literal. Enrich

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I didn't realise bees had ears

 

[Ely]

Two pages in and I'm still trying to work out the question

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Two pages in and I'm still trying to work out the question

I think the answer is 'Scunthorpe'

 

[Ely]

I think the answer is 'Scunthorpe'

So was the question 'Glamorous and safe places in the UK to send the wife off to'?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

So was the question 'Glamorous and safe places in the UK to send the wife off to'?

well it does have a chippy (under the Home Guard club) that does an amazing fish supper fried in beef dripping

 

[Newbeeneil]

I think the answer is 'Scunthorpe'

I think the question was probably "who put the Tea in Britain?" if I remember my TV ads correctly

 

[Ely]

well it does have a chippy (under the Home Guard club) that does an amazing fish supper fried in beef dripping

I reckon she's had enough chips

 

[Murox]

With an open mind and an inquisitive nature I have never stopped learning from and about bees; I am not sure the answer is Scunthopre, Tea, Chips, fish with beef dripping or Aristotole as we know he was a bugger for the bottle and very rarely able. My god its still January.

 

[Ely]

With an open mind and an inquisitive nature I have never stopped learning from and about bees; I am not sure the answer is Scunthopre, Tea, Chips, fish with beef dripping or Aristotole as we know he was a bugger for the bottle and very rarely able. My god its still January.

It's Friday after a long week of work. The bottle is definitely the answer. That's what I'm going with anyway