Perfect training apiary?

[B+.]

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Death by anaphylaxis is also, thankfully, rare.

Thankfully it is rare but devastating. The death of one child is one too many.
You seem to have a very cavalier attitude.

 

[fatshark]

My training apiary would have no rain or thunderstorms ... or I'd have some colonies in a bee shed where you can inspect even if the weather is inclement.

 

[Uncle Betty]

Should the training apiary have one of those multi-frame, swinging observation hives, perhaps ? Something more permanent than the Ulster.

 

[Uncle Betty]

This is an often repeated generalization. It doesn't apply to the population I work with. If anything, they tend to supersede when the queen gets too old rather than swarm.

Another desirable trait, surely.

 

[colinc]

I have no understanding of why anyone in their right mind would want, enjoy or argue that it is better to keep aggressive bees.
If my bees started attacking people or animals (or worse triggered an anaphylaxis) the rarity of this happening would offer me no solace.
B+ measures every production asset of his colonies and the pictures and records he keeps are posted all over the forum. If their placid nature was a hindrance he would not get the crops or the colony sizes we see on here.

The pit bulls of the forum are barking up the wrong tree as far as I see it.


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[bingevader]

Thankfully it is rare but devastating. The death of one child is one too many.
You seem to have a very cavalier attitude.

Nope, I'm careful and act appropriately, just never been prepared to wrap mine or anyone else's children up in cotton wool, especially when a bee suit will suffice.

You'd have us legislating against anything that causes anaphylaxis then?! There are plenty of food stuffs that have a much higher rate and are more dangerous than honey bees.

At no point have I advocated the rearing or keeping of aggressive bees.
It was the nonsense about legislating against them that I found ridiculous and then the comments that an animal that has been bred specifically and deliberately to be as aggressive as possible should be compared to the humble honey bee.

I should know not to bite on this forum (no pun intended), it's why my post count is so low.

Sorry for the off topic.

 

[Beefriendly]

My training apiary would have no rain or thunderstorms ... or I'd have some colonies in a bee shed where you can inspect even if the weather is inclement.

Mine would be very close to a beach in the Caribbean with palm trees and bars serving very cold beers.
Dream of a bee shed....
I've just spent a couple of, shall we say, "interesting" hours manipulating hives in heavy rain with thunder rolling around the hills. My placid bees showed me their wild side today. Had to be done, need to take them to the heather tomorrow. Just bad timing on my part and real work interfering.

 

[roche]

Mine would be very close to a beach in the
I've just spent a couple of, shall we say, "interesting" hours manipulating hives in heavy rain with thunder rolling around the hills. My placid bees showed me their wild side today. Had to be done, need to take them to the heather tomorrow. Just bad timing on my part and real work interfering.

I think you've just hit the nail on the head - It doesn't matter what sort of Bees you keep, they are capable of huge temperament swings and one needs to be prepared and capable of dealing with it. You won't know until the roof is off the colony. But there may be hints - end of the OSR season, rain looming, that sort of thing. If you've never experienced a wild colony, you don't know how threatening it can be. That having been said, learning with calm colonies is good, as confidence and ability can grow without the threat of angry Bees.

 

[wessexmario]

Mobile telephones do not work at my out apiaries - too far off the beaten track!

Then you could do a mobile reception survey in increasing circles around a training apiary and learn where the nearest good reception locations are.
There are apps you can use to determine where the local masts are, which will make the search easier, the best reception might be close but in the opposite direction to your normal approach to the apiary.
I used to have to do this regularly when doing potentially dangerous work in remote areas, much better to know this sort of info before an emergency happens.

 

[colinc]

"Perfect" apiary it seems would need a satellite phone.
Onsite staffed medical suite or Epipen at a minimum.
Just if we are having perfect never changing weather and a bar,
Ha ha ha


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[bjosephd]

A well (daylight) lit workshop with a good selection of woodworking tools.

 

[bjosephd]

Selected for non-aggression, not to tell the difference between humans and wasps though!

If they're non-aggressive, they're non-aggressive.

Less defensive against wasps too then.

However, this is a thing.

Inspecting one of my colonies today there was a very bizarre buzzing noise. On closer inspection of the frame I was holding I saw a bunch of bees attacking an intruding wasp... if this 'aggressiveness' were to be toward 'all things' or 'no things' then reason would suggest I should have been in big trouble.

However, this was not the case. They were going all guns a blazing against the invading wasp, yet totally ignored me taking their house apart and rummaging through it.

I really admire the work that B+ is doing (and other breeders (but not enough)). I see so many youtube videos from other countries of people inspecting incredibly chilled and mellow bees, and I think most of us here in the uk have no idea what bees can be like.