Nothing new in beekeeping - so when did we abandon common sense and start following the self professed experts?

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jenkinsbrynmair

International Beekeeper of Mystery
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Been leafing through my first edition (1904) copy of Digges' 'the Irish Bee Guide' - which then was subsequently changed to the Practical Bee Guide to allay the bile of the average beekeeping retired colonel; and happened upon the chapter on feeding fondant:
Experience shows that stocks, no matter how well supplied with food below, winter better when they have a cake of candy on top of the frames. The bees use the candy first
And remembering that in those days there were no crown boards.....or plastic takeaway cartons - or celotex!!:
A neater plan for supplying the candy, and one that will repay the little extra trouble, where only a few hives have to be dealt with, may be adopted as follows. Procure for each hive a small shallow box of wood, or cardboard; remove the lid and cut, in the bottom a hole to correspond with the hole in the sheet that is on the frames. Put a piece of newspaper over the hole in the bottom of the box and fill up with candy. Now, set an empty section crate on the sheet that covers the frames; pull the paper off the candy; and set the box on the sheet, so that the bees shall have access to the candy right over the cluster. Place a piece of glass on the box. Fill up the crate with warm stuff, such as tailor's cuttings, cork dust, or chaff; pack all round it with with cloth or newspaper, then set the usual quilts on top. Thus there will be no escape of heat; the candy will be in the warmest part of the hive; and the glass will enable you to see when a further supply of food becomes neccessary.
Then some trumpet in the BBKA comes along with matchsticks and 'ventilation' and makes it the gospel!!!
 
I sometimes buy old beekeeping books just to see what differences there is. Read a fantastic chapter in one book about section honey!
 
Just shows you why Digges is still the 'go to' book with serious beekeepers a 116 year on.
The best thing about the first edition is that skep beekeeping was still prevalent then and is well covered in the book...........although you don't get much mention of isle of Wight disease until the later editions
 
what does Digges recommend between Abelo or Maisies? lol

very interesting and trying to cut through the chaff to something that just works and is reliable is a good summary of what i've been doing over a couple of years or more

was reading about some method if introducing a queen under water with a match box and a drawing pin someone ping'd me the other day...

just because you can, doesnt mean you should, springs to mind
 
There’s a reason for dunking queens an old boy I new would dunk virgins before dropping then in mini nucs. The idea it stopped them being so flighty made them easy to handle and not flying about attracting the attention of the workers.
 
“...so when did we abandon common sense and start following the self professed experts?”
Punditry has little to do with accurate or even sensible information. If it is entertaining, even if wrong, it has a good 'following', that's reality – - -
 
There’s a reason for dunking queens an old boy I new would dunk virgins before dropping then in mini nucs. The idea it stopped them being so flighty made them easy to handle and not flying about attracting the attention of the workers.

Some things change...some things don't (https://youtu.be/kyzAS5eZ2xA?t=2933 )
 

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