Seeking Mentor - Yorkshire

[Newbeeneil]

Methinks OP is playing a game with some of you.

This guy has been trolling this thread since his first post.........

 

[Erichalfbee]

This guy has been trolling this thread since his first post.........

Yes...which makes him a marked man

 

[YHB]

Yes...which makes him a marked man

Wow, we can see there unbiased staff member moderators on this site.

This was my thread looking for a mentor. I have never trolled any site.

It has morphed into more just on the basis I didn’t agree with the views and wanted to my own approach.

This guy has been trolling this thread since his first post.........

On my own thread looking for a mentor? How can I be trolling my own thread when I am the one looking for support. I would like to point out, I have found said mentor from this post.

Talk about no idea what they are saying.

 

[nikca]

This has to be a Troll Thread doesn’t it?
ive done some reading... so know better than thousands of years of combined knowledge on this forum.
ive got my plan and I’m sticking to it no matter what
who is going to want to be a Mentor to this attitud? I’m local, and “not I”

the most pertinent things i can think of are trite but so so true:

no plan survives contact with the enemy (or the bees)
ive read the book, unfortunately the bees hadnt
when you have three beekeepers your will find 4 opinions

My mentor (in France) mjbee (found on this forum), was absolutely brilliant. I listened to him and only him for my first year.60 years of running 30 colonies teaches quite a lot. (I learned a lot about Asian hornets too... but that was protracted contact with the enemy.)
Sadly Mike is no longer with us, but his knowledge is, and I suspect a lot of it live on with members on here. That’s what this resource is for.
The Trolls however just sign up for an argument

 

[nikca]

It has morphed into more just on the basis I didn’t agree with the views and wanted to my own approach.

How can you have “your own approach” when you know nothing about beekeeping?
tell you what, read loads of books,get some Microsoft flight sim time in, and now go fly a plane. Get an instructor, but don’t listen, as you’ve now “got your own approach”
Does that sound sensible?

 

[YHB]

This has to be a Troll Thread doesn’t it?
ive done some reading... so know better than thousands of years of combined knowledge on this forum.
ive got my plan and I’m sticking to it no matter what
who is going to want to be a Mentor to this attitud? I’m local, and “not I”

the most pertinent things i can think of are trite but so so true:

no plan survives contact with the enemy (or the bees)
ive read the book, unfortunately the bees hadnt
when you have three beekeepers your will find 4 opinions

My mentor (in France) mjbee (found on this forum), was absolutely brilliant. I listened to him and only him for my first year.60 years of running 30 colonies teaches quite a lot. (I learned a lot about Asian hornets too... but that was protracted contact with the enemy.)
Sadly Mike is no longer with us, but his knowledge is, and I suspect a lot of it live on with members on here. That’s what this resource is for.
The Trolls however just sign up for an argument

No I am not a troll, and though I respect everyone’s comments and advice.

It doesn’t make me a troll to keep to the plan I have put together.

 

[YHB]

How can you have “your own approach” when you know nothing about beekeeping?
tell you what, read loads of books,get some Microsoft flight sim time in, and now go fly a plane. Get an instructor, but don’t listen, as you’ve now “got your own approach”
Does that sound sensible?

Is it wrong to want to alcohol wash over sugar roll?

Isn’t that my approach? Against being told I should use sugar roll?

 

[Nannysbees]

Alcohol washes not for me, I didnt take up beekeeping to kill hundreds of my bees willingly, I'm devastated if I find dead bees on the landing board. I love this forum. Different views yes, but that's what makes it so interesting and from experienced Beeks with years of knowledge.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Wow, we can see there unbiased staff member moderators on this site.

This was my thread looking for a mentor. I have never trolled any site.

It has morphed into more just on the basis I didn’t agree with the views and wanted to my own approach.



On my own thread looking for a mentor? How can I be trolling my own thread when I am the one looking for support. I would like to point out, I have found said mentor from this post.

Talk about no idea what they are saying.

I think you are giving the impression of someone who might struggle to bond with a mentor who practices normally accepted beekeeping methods.
By all means tread your own path but if you as a self proclaimed beginner are not going to accept what advice you get there's little point in someone giving freely of their time to help you. As others have suggested get the basics under your belt then strike out on non mainstream methods.
As to the moderation, it's a thankless task but this forum is far more tolerant than others in the same sector. Since the change of forum "ownership" numbers of recruits seem to have risen, bringing with them new attitudes with a noticeable shift towards regarding their bees as pets rather than working units (or something in between). Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but when they generate discord the mods step in. Sometimes gently, sometimes with an axe

 

[YHB]

I think you are giving the impression of someone who might struggle to bond with a mentor who practices normally accepted beekeeping methods.
By all means tread your own path but if you as a self proclaimed beginner are not going to accept what advice you get there's little point in someone giving freely of their time to help you. As others have suggested get the basics under your belt then strike out on non mainstream methods.
As to the moderation, it's a thankless task but this forum is far more tolerant than others in the same sector. Since the change of forum "ownership" numbers of recruits seem to have risen, bringing with them new attitudes with a noticeable shift towards regarding their bees as pets rather than working units (or something in between). Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but when they generate discord the mods step in. Sometimes gently, sometimes with an axe

It may be that I do struggle to bond with a mentor. And I agree is key to find the right mentor.

I am a beginner, but this isn’t my first post or question.

This is the culmination 9 months of study, following people on YouTube. Asking questions daily on Facebook forums, I am on around half a dozen forums, I am a member of two associations due to where I live abs have attended both or their zoom meetings. I ask questions weekly on both of their Facebook groups. I ask questions on their WhatsApp group.

I have taken everyone’s point of view, But I will always go away and do my own research on anyone’s advice.

I assess and chew if over before I decide to go ahead with it.

A prime example is my GASVAP I have treated my three hives using it, felt the results didn’t match those I was expecting from the comments from others. Changes the method of using it, changes the burner but still wasn’t happy. So after a month or two of assessing the Sublimox or ProVAP 220. Finally when with the Sublimox.

I understand people’s years of experience, but I will always do it my way. Then if it goes wrong I can only be mad at myself.

My plan isn’t fixed, it’s just fixed for Jan to March 2021. I will look at what is and isn’t working through the year.

It may be that my plan for vertical splits using the Bob Binnie double screen board(type of snelgrove board) doesn’t work for me. Then I will change my approach.

The only reason I am asking on here for a mentor is my local association can’t provide one due to Covid and the age group. And the other one is just too far for the members to support me.

 

[elainemary]

Is it wrong to want to alcohol wash over sugar roll?

Isn’t that my approach? Against being told I should use sugar roll?

I've used varroa boards to date as a guide and to assess build up, found it is a good indicator, if not perfectly accurate, of what's happening. But since contributing to this forum I've decided next year to try a sugar roll. I researched the effectiveness of alcohol vs sugar and sugar catches 90% of the varroa in the sample, but alcohol will give you the other 10%. Both sugar and alcohol require 300 bees and are sampled in exactly the same way. So seems logical to save the 300 bees (which may be all important winter bees if sampling in Aug & Sept) and sugar roll, then extrapolate the 90% to 100%. It's proven to be effective scientifically and backed up by the experience of Members of the Forum

Have a read of this
http://www.honeybeesuite.com/monitoring-mites-with-a-sugar-shake/
Abelo have a very good sugar shake which I've just ordered
https://www.abelo.co.uk/shop/varroa-control/varroa-tester-3in1/

 

[Curly green finger's]

I've used varroa boards to date as a guide and to assess build up, found it is a good indicator, if not perfectly accurate, of what's happening. But since contributing to this forum I've decided next year to try a sugar roll. I researched the effectiveness of alcohol vs sugar and sugar catches 90% of the varroa in the sample, but alcohol will give you the other 10%. Both sugar and alcohol require 300 bees and are sampled in exactly the same way. So seems logical to save the 300 bees (which may be all important winter bees if sampling in Aug & Sept) and sugar roll, then extrapolate the 90% to 100%. It's proven to be effective scientifically and backed up by the experience of Members of the Forum

Have a read of this
http://www.honeybeesuite.com/monitoring-mites-with-a-sugar-shake/
Abelo have a very good sugar shake which I've just ordered
https://www.abelo.co.uk/shop/varroa-control/varroa-tester-3in1/

Thanks Elaine, Ive been using a sugar roll/shake this summer after changing from using the alcohol wash.
Apologies I'm flat out and will reply more so later.
We are having a meeting with the staff because of this new lockdown two of our employees are being furloughed and it might come to it that all will be.

 

[Arfermo]

I fully understand I don’t have your experience, but from the scientific studies I have read.

It has showed that the sugar roll is not as accurate as the alcohol wash. Not sure where you have got 90% from. I am not planning to undertake assessments each week as this in turn will affect the colony. I only plan to open them when I have to, for scheduled assessment.

Varroa mite load is at its highest between August and November, so there is no need to check weekly.

The alcohol wash gives me a definitive answer on my mite load and I’d rather know the health of my colonies rather than a more variable assessment using sugar roll.

Alcohol Assessments as part of an integrated plan would only be undertake twice a year. Assuming the colony isn’t close to complete collapse losing 300 bees twice a year isn’t going to adversely affect the colony.

The point of my question was to show that your view is the sugar is the best, but it’s not the answer. There is no answer, each process is right and each is wrong depending on your person view.

You mentioned an institution that has an inability to move to better methods. But you have clearly telling me I am doing it wrong, so I have to ask which of us is steadfast and immovable.

This is the first time I have viewed this thread but it is very obvious from, a cursory and possibly incomplete reading of all the comments in this thread, that you really don't want any GOOD advice at all. You seem to be either a relative Newby beekeeper or perhaps merely a newcomer to this forum but it is very obvious that you have your own mindset on what you will accept as good advice and what you would rather not hear. That is quite OK if that is what you want, So the conclusion can only be that you are wasting everybody's time being involved in this forum at all. Sorry but that to me that the most obvious conclusion to draw from all the guff I read here. So please consider going elsewhere.

 

[boywonder]

Just catching up with this most entertaining thread...

As for swarm control, if I have no QCs and have slabs of brood. I know I have 10-12 days maximum before the colony is going explode and is more likely to swarm.

ROTFL. Good luck with that, and the related books ...

You should be inspecting weekly in the peak swarm season, and if you don't, the bees will soon educate you otherwise.

You learn from handling bees. IMHO, (and in the absence of association beginners courses), beginners should get hold of a simple, basic text which runs through all the BASICS in a digestible form. For me, it was the Dummies Guide. I have since read a number of texts (some more involved than others), and another which I would recommend for beginners is Roger Patterson's, "Beekeeping a Practical Guide".... Others wax lyrical about the Haynes manual, which I understand is very good, but which I have not read. Then...

- Read and reread the bits on the lifecycle of bees. That's all the theory you need for year 1.
- Get a mentor/bee buddy if you can, and LISTEN to them, and any other experienced beekeepers
- Get some bees... enjoy them, observe them, learn from them ...

... and develop your approach and aspirations from there, including additional theoretical learning. Topics like grafting and drone culling should be something you are looking at after at least a couple of years of keeping bees for real.

I currently maintain 15 colonies, am into my 8th year, and will almost certainly do neither of those things - grafting because it does not fit with the rather more simple model of queen rearing I have been comfortable adopting over time, and drone culling for a number of reasons already stated by others. I am intensely relaxed about these choices as I have the benefit of 7 seasons' real-life experience (of the highs and lows; the misguided experiments and the accidental triumphs).

As has been stated by others previously KISS (it's just bees in a box, when all's said and done).

If you don't, you are doomed to fail from the outset.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I would like to point out, I have found said mentor from this post.

.

Excellent.
In which case I am happy to close the thread.