Tbh

[Brosville]

I'm somewhat at a loss to understand the reason for any animosity - I am one of those dreadful new guerrilla beekeepers with a top bar hive - I did a great deal of reading before choosing to go with that method, and did so for a great many good reasons, not least the desire to do without chemicals of any sort if at all possible.
Having farmed I am well aware of the undue influence of the agrochemical and pharmaceutical companies, and am of the opinion that the honeybee has done extremely well for millennia without them, and that with good husbandry there is no reason why chemicals can't be minimised, or done without completely. (Any eejit can "farm" chemically, it takes a real farmer to do without)
I'm quite accepting of the fact that I may well be seen as a total loony (with which I can live) - honey production is WAY down the list of priorities for me - it's a nice "bonus" - my aim is to keep healthy bees, and help redress the balance caused by the chemical lunacy of recent years.
I find that some conventional beekeepers tend to be just as blinkered as they accuse top bar hivers of being, and any questioning of the essential rightness of the tablets of stone handed down by Mr Langstroth is met with an outburst of religious fundamentalism of the worst sort.
As for the "it'll spread disease" argument, I think it's utter tosh - us new hobbyists will probably be overdoing inspections, varroa counts etc, and will be the first to seek expert help should something untoward arise. If a source of "over the fence" problems is being sought, I'd suggest bad commercial concerns, lackadaisical "old" beekeepers, and most of all, farmers using toxic chemicals are going to do far more harm.........
I fully recognise the problems in anything of the "ours is the only true way" attitude, for which reason I'm a member here, and the Biobees site too - to my mind, the best way for progress to be made is peaceful co-existence, and exchange of ideas, rather than trench-digging!

 

[victor meldrew]

Whilst I agree with your sentiments I must take issue with your open aggression to "Old Beekeepers "
All you have my lad is Zeal but little substance.
Congratulations on your first swarm of bees, I hope they prosper .
"I'm now a beekeeper" doesn't qualify you to lecture on the rights and wrongs of beekeeping and cast despertions on old hands, especially as all of your knowledge has come from www.
A little humility, at least until you gain some hands on experience would add credance to your argument.
I hope you don't take offence at my iterating the thoughts of many other contributors, no offence intended .

Regards John Wilkinson.
'THERE ARE NONE SO PIOUS AS THE RECENTLY CONVERTED'

 

[jon]

What sort of bees did you get for your TBH?

not least the desire to do without chemicals of any sort if at all possible.

You can do that in any shape of hive if you want.

 

[BKF Admin]

The "TBH" would be very good for migratory beekeeping:

 

[victor meldrew]

permission to copy the photo Captain? it'a a cracker .

John Wilkinson

 

[Baggyone]

Thats a thing of art is that bike and sidecar!

 

[BKF Admin]

No Problem,copy away John.

Thats not a sidecar Baggyone,its a "TBH" !

 

[VEG]

so thats where they got the design from

 

[Poly Hive]

Well Brosville both I and John have very good reason to have very little time for the TBH brigade.

I'm somewhat at a loss to understand the reason for any animosity

That's because you are unaware of a considerable history of vitrollic and down right rude behaviour by the TBC brigade.

I find that some conventional beekeepers tend to be just as blinkered as they accuse top bar hivers of being, and any questioning of the essential rightness of the tablets of stone handed down by Mr Langstroth is met with an outburst of religious fundamentalism of the worst sort.

What utter rubbish. Langstroth was not the first to discover the basic principles he merely shouted louder. As for being blinkered there are those in every milieu who suffer from blindness.

I fully recognise the problems in anything of the "ours is the only true way" attitude, for which reason I'm a member here, and the Biobees site too - to my mind, the best way for progress to be made is peaceful co-existence, and exchange of ideas, rather than trench-digging!

I am not interested in trenches but I hate to see nonsence and lies being touted as truths.

Carry on matey as you wish and as you will. Enjoy your bees but please please tone things down as until you have some real experience as for now you are but a theorist.

I will not appear on this thread again. And for information: on one of the most respected sites in the Bee World the TBH brigade have been shunned for cross referencing, and finally being outed as totalling 6 "gurus" citing each other.

It's a laugh John!

PH

 

[Brosville]

Just to clarify a point, would "one of the most respected sites in the Bee World" be by any chance referring to the forum for an association that purports to represent all UK beekeepers, but in fact has less than a third of them as members, that accepts a laughably small sum of money to sell it's soul to chemical conglomerates - and a forum that censors posts right left and centre, won't have a word said against "icides", and will eject people for not being "on message" perchance?

more here - http://halbot.haluze.sk/?id=2737

 

[jon]

I think he is referring to Beeline rather than the BBKA.
No matter what forum you read you soon suss out who knows what they are talking about.
I wouldn't diss someone like John Wilkinson who has a wealth of practical experience and has made many posts which demonstrate that - both here and on the BBKA site.

 

[Brosville]

I'd like to make it plain that I'm not "dissing" anyone, particularly John, who I
respect as an elder of beekeeping, and who's opinions are worth reading, even if I may not always agree with him.........I merely posted voicing my dismay that some people seem to be affronted by top bar hives

 

[BKF Admin]

When I started beekeeping I looked for info on the internet and found some of Johns posts,He is someone I have always looked upto in the beekeeping world.

When he joined up here I sent him a PM to thank him for joining and offering help,he's a top man who has forgotten more than I will ever learn.

 

[Poly Hive]

No. Nothing to do with the BBKA who are but a backwater in the world context.

PH

 

[BKF Admin]

PH are you a member of Beelist ?

 

[jon]

I merely posted voicing my dismay that some people seem to be affronted by top bar hives

Don't flatter yourself.
Very few are affronted by top bar hives but there are many who are tired of the aggressive attitude of top bar beekeepers.

I'm somewhat at a loss to understand the reason for any animosity - I am one of those dreadful new guerrilla beekeepers with a )

LOL
No such thing as "guerrilla beekeepers" only good beekeepers and bad beekeepers irrespective of the shape of the box.
There is a lot to learn. Good luck.

 

[Chris J]

I remember seeing a strange contraption outside Thornes when they were in Uxbridge a million years ago.
It was a small porch bolted to the wall next to the entrance and under it was a natural hive a bit like a TBH without the outside box.
I often wondered how they got the whole thing started and I wonder now if they put a swarm into a TBH nuc box and transferred the bees once they had drawn some comb.

Anyone got any ideas, it was a total thing of beauty and I'd like one.?

 

[Rosti]

'THERE ARE NONE SO PIOUS AS THE RECENTLY CONVERTED'

Quotes are great and a bit like statistics, you can always make them fit!

Alexander Flemming " The dangerous expert is the one who believes before he knows"

John is right about new beeks and the need for humility and using ears and mouth in that ratio, I said as much in a post as 'advice' to "BeesRob" when he was clearly spouting beyond his knowledge and not listening to advice freely given.
That said some of the best application of work in my professional career has been when someone new to it has reviewed, questioned, modified or developed my position and something far better has come out of it. Pride sometimes makes it difficult to accept your idea has been superseeded or improved, but you have still contributed.

Fresh approaches and fresh ideas is what drives development. Granted it doesn't translate fully from science to an 'art' and beeking definately has a higher observational and interpretive element, but as a case in point how many of the more established beeks are still on solid floors 'because that's what I use' This forum and beeking in general needs humility from end of the spectrum and open mindedness to new ideas at the other in equal measure if it is to deal with current challenges. Otherwise newcommers won't assimilate the wealth of tried and tested knowledge and the established won't clock that simple change that makes the difference or breakthough.

Bickering is amusement, debating is progress

Regards, an established scientist but first year beek.

 

[Poly Hive]

If you mean Bee-L Admin then yes I keep a vague eye on it, I delete most without reading I have to say.

PH