should juniors be allowed to keep bees?

[jp19sqn]

Hi Victor, I would agree that some do and some don't. I too am from a military background; I decided to take up my current profession when I was 3 and never waivered for 45 years. Of the folks who joined our beekeeping association recently it is the members who have participating children who have stuck at it. Any craft needs new blood and even if it is for 10 years, until they discover other things, the seed will have been set. The chances of them coming back to beekeeping in later years will be increased. I don't think people are suggesting here that a child should remain a beekeeper for all of their lives. I believe children having to make decisions based on changing circumstances in a responsible fashion sets them up well for their futures. We also get more beekeepers in later life. On balance, having read all of the points against it, I still cannot find a reason to rule children out. Quite the opposite. Here is the other benefit; as our climate is set for change and farmers are placed under continued pressure to supply more from less, it is today's children who will lead the charge to prevent further damage to our ecology. If more are equipped with the love of nature that beekeeping brings then that charge will have much more momentum.

Jon

 

[victor meldrew]

I think you misread/misunderstand my view point ?
I'm all for kids being introduced to beekeeping; my point ,Children are by nature both inquisitive and mischievous ,sometimes at the same time (all part of the learning curve) !ergo they require supervision when dealing with any livestock.
As an unsupervised child I keep pigeons, rabbits and ferrets all at the same time, I bred rabbits ect , but looking back , I don't think my rabbit breeding skills were as they perhaps as they should have been.
Teach ,instruct include yes.
I do object to the newbie bee keeper lambasting fellow Beekeepers because they are either long in the tooth or long in the craft!
Still it's to be expected, "There is none so pious as the recently converted"
VM

 

[jp19sqn]

The only people lambasted on this forum are the new beekeepers or the child beekeepers. Thank heavens the bees remain the issue for the serious beekeepers.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

Hi the Rhodes,
No one should be encouraged to take up beekeeping. The motivation to become a beekeeper should come from the individual. As far as I am concerned the issue debated was the insurance aspects for a non-adult. However, the folly of youth and waning enthusiasm springs to mind. As do over 50's who have been on a course and taken very little in. One brain not fully developed and one degenerating (I am including myself in this category).
There are of course exceptions. Maybe, 'your bees are swarming' would be a good way of getting ones offspring out of bed at 1400 hrs on a Sunday after a night out?

The motivation was there from the kids, it was other beekeepers that were 'luke warm' luckily now fixed. I started when I was 12 and was encouraged / mentored, moving onto my own hives when appropriate and almost 40 years later I still keep hives as does my father who started with me way back then. If any of my kids want to follow it in more than casual way I will make sure they have what oportunity they need to do this. At the moment there is not that driver with them but one of mine is going to join me on the archery field shortly at her request, to 'try it out'.

 

[Mellifera397]

As a 15 year old who has no family background in beekeeping Im really grateful to my local BKA for being firstly so accessible and also so open about the idea of me starting beekeeping. I started a course in may and my parents made me waith until august to make sure I was ready for bees and now I have a colony overwintering in the hope that they get of to a great start next year.
I agree that kids and teenagers shouldnt be encouraged to become beekeepers because we often show an interest for the first month and then get bored but I certainly believe that they should be given the opportunity to do a hive inspection under supervision to see if they like and thats why I have persuaded my headmaster to allow our biology department to keep bees on the roof so that my mentor beekeeper and I can give people a feel for what its like

 

[victor meldrew]

Hello Henry,
I wondered when you'd be along to throw your hat into the ring
I take it you now have a mentor prepared to act as apiary manager at your school ?
Good good! One or to on here think I'm anti kids and bees because I've expressed a cautionary approach
I use the word kid advisedly as I started work down number 1 pit at Mossely Common colliery when a full year younger tha you are now . I didn't consider myself a kid then, neither did the overseers in that particular establishment ! They required a mans' output for a boys wages. How times have changed .
Thank God !!!
VM

 

[Mellifera397]

I know for a fact you're not anti kids and I have to agree with you that a cautionary approach is the best option because we kids are pretty much the worst for getting fed up with things after a while .

 

[beeno]

As a 15 year old who has no family background in beekeeping Im really grateful to my local BKA for being firstly so accessible and also so open about the idea of me starting beekeeping. I started a course in may and my parents made me waith until august to make sure I was ready for bees and now I have a colony overwintering in the hope that they get of to a great start next year.
I agree that kids and teenagers shouldnt be encouraged to become beekeepers because we often show an interest for the first month and then get bored but I certainly believe that they should be given the opportunity to do a hive inspection under supervision to see if they like and thats why I have persuaded my headmaster to allow our biology department to keep bees on the roof so that my mentor beekeeper and I can give people a feel for what its like

Sounds a perfect scenario to me. Hope it is easy access though. Keep my fingers crossed for yours. Forgot to say I love your Avitar. Queen slimline version!

 

[victor meldrew]

I have visited the particular school , the access to the roof is by secure internal stair casings . Storage space within a building (substantial greenhouse)on the roof is ideal .
The idea of a mentor /apiary manager is to ensure continuity from season to season and of course the long Summer recess, not forgetting the various periods during term time when students/Beekeepers ,are under pressure (exam preparation etc .)
I'm glad Henry pulled it off , properly managed ,this apiary should be an asset to the said school and be (hopefully)self financing . Well to a degree anyway
VM

 

[Mellifera397]

Fingers crossed we don't have any disasters