To die for

[susbees]

Being one of those freaky vegetarians

We are both vegetarian. Yesterday I killed a cockerel who had been cast out from the barn with the big chickens last winter and had this week started attacking the bantam cockerels by the house, ripping the combs of two of them. Each situation must be thought through, vegetarian, Buddhist, whatever. Or should I have advertised him free in the local paper so it would have been "off my patch" (but still on my conscience)? That was rhetorical, we shouldn't take this OT.

With lots of philosophies, religions etc there is more of a pick and mix ethos these days. We should all think hard before we act and challenge the way it may always have been for us.

Now about that beer...

 

[crazy_bull]

Is it beer o'clock yet?

T minus 3 hours and counting

 

[Firegazer]

I guess my post tries to address m100's point too: the OP sounded a little bit judgmental in his questioning of the process of beekeeping.

"I'm not sure I can do this because my religious beliefs preclude me from murdering bees" - some poetic licence used ;-)

I was hoping to make the point that looking after the colony with love and proper care sometimes involves individual bees dieing in the same way that having a surgical procedure will involve killing some skin cells on the way in. Unless you look at things on the right scale, you can do close-in good to one bee but lots of harm on the colony scale.

I love Finman's use of the word 'nursing'; he says he 'nurses his bees' - not 'farms' them, or 'keeps' them or 'manages' them. I think he is a good example of care for his bee colonies and any assertion that that would need a conscience call probably means the questioner's argument is wrong somewhere.

Davethegas, do you consider the mites and other pathogens in the hive equally valuable in terms of protection? If the bees got a viral disease, where would your loyalties lie? Is it OK as long as you don't have bad intentions, and does that mean it's best to be as ignorant as possible of your actions to reduce the amount of consequences you 'intended' rather than those which were 'incidental'?

FG

 

[davethegas]

Ok guys, never had cockroaches, had ants, a bag of cloves scared, not killed them off. Had wasps last year, mrs thegas called in the bugman while I was at work, I wouldnt, she has no qualms

 

[VEG]

Sorry but all these ideas are just trying to sway the thinking that you wont be killing any bees. You will kill bees. If you ignore that fact then surely you are not following your chosen religion. How can you ignore the fact if you know that some bees will be squashed.
That would be choosing the parts of the religion that suit you.

I am in no way having a go at davethegas for his religion I can respect his chosen path, the bit I have problems with would be choosing just the bits of the religion you like.
Its a bit like people saying they are vegetarian and then eating chicken and fish. To me they are not vegetarian they are just people that dont eat red meat.

 

[Finman]

.
Topbar religion is the nearmost.
They can't us foundation because it is too contaminated.

 

[susbees]

.
Topbar religion is the nearmost.
They can't us foundation because it is too contaminated.

Even vegetarian topbarrers don't EAT foundation...he he. And top bar is not a religion....you can take and try the bits that work for you and leave the rest.

I have in a top bar a nuc with the sister queen to a friend's nuc (living quite close). His is in a National. His swarmed 29 May leaving the old queen bemused on the grass and recaptured luckily for him with a virgin and QCs in the box. Mine is still building happily with not a QC in sight and respecting their 2009 queen.

Wanders off muttering swarmy top bars, yeah, right

 

[davethegas]

Craig

Intention is the biggie. To harm or kill with intent is bad news. To accidentally kill is not without losing some karmic points, but do a bit of good goes some way to redress the balance. Always weigh bad off with good.

 

[VEG]

Well that changes things a lot. So you can keep the bees and satisfy the requirement of your chosen religion.

 

[davethegas]

Is verroa only present part of the year or all year round. Is it a case of treat when you have it or to stop getting it?

 

[Finman]

.
I looked hindu cow program from TV. The monastry kept retirement home for holy cows. But in the backyard of the home there lived a tiger too and it use to kill a cow for its food. When the tiger killed the cow, villager came and took flesh and the skin. Tiger was hungy and it should kill again.'

So, people cannot kill the cow but the tiger did it for them.

 

[davethegas]

Firegazer

Would it be practical to assume good husbandry would keep mites, verroa, etc to a minimum without going on a killing spree? For example if you treated before infestation would it stop it, thus no direct intention

 

[Finman]

.
Не понимаю

 

[davethegas]

firegazer

Yes that helps a lot. Thank you for the input.

 

[davethegas]

susbees

Thank you. I would very much like to hear what your Nepalese friend has to say. Please pass on a namaste from me. If at some point if I decide to go ahead, I would very much like to view your hives.

 

[merylvingien]

without going on a killing spree?

With all due respect Dave, beekeeping isnt a killing spree!

You should spend a week with me, you will then realise that i speak the truth! LOL

 

[DulwichGnome]

Dave, just out of interest, why are you thinking of keeping bees?

Mike

 

[davethegas]

Sorry meryl flippancy got the better of me. Lol. Meant in the respect of killing lots of mites.

 

[davethegas]

Mike

Knew that was coming. Lol. About 3 years ago worked for a guy who kept them. Got interested but no time. Now still interested but now deeper into belief thing, but you have my word that unless I can keep bees with their welfare at heart eg mite control, re-queening etc, then I will be absolutely gutted, but unless it is congruent with what I believe, I would just not do it.

 

[DulwichGnome]

Knew that was coming. Lol. About 3 years ago worked for a guy who kept them. Got interested but no time. Now still interested but now deeper into belief thing, but you have my word that unless I can keep bees with their welfare at heart eg mite control, re-queening etc, then I will be absolutely gutted, but unless it is congruent with what I believe, I would just not do it.

Forgive me but you have not explained what you hope to achieve by keeping bees?

Mike.