Subject: Practicing beekeepers

From: [email-masked] (Moore Chad)
Date: 27 Apr 1994 02:22:17 GMT

Are there any practicing beekeepers out there?   From reading the 
articles, there are mostly hobbiests.  I would like to exchange some tips 
and methods that have helped me throught the years.  I and my brother 
raise around 3,000 colonies, if there are any beekeepers out there who 
keep bees to make a living, lets talk.

Salmon River Beekeeper 
Grangville Idaho

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From: [email-masked] (Phil Veldhuis)
Date: 27 Apr 1994 19:40:03 GMT

>keep bees to make a living, lets talk.

I think the nature of the internet is still such that most people with
access will have full-time jobs in the business or education fields.

I am putting myself through university by beekeeping.  I have only 60
colonies, although my family and other relations are comercial beekeepers.
(Several operations in the 1000 colony range)
My experience with hobiest/commercial interchange is that it is
frustrating and often unproductive.  For instance, commercial beekeepers
often worry more about equipment and anomalous hive management practices
than the basic management of normal hives.  Whereas hobbiest beekeepers
are more interested in getting feedback about fairly basic (though
crucial) tasks and management.

The fact that one keeps many colonies doesn't make one more of an expert,
although one may be an expert.   I always advise hobbiests
with some trepidation.  The solutions to problems I use are not
necessarily a good solution to the same problem for the single hive
beekeeper who might be just as knowledgeable, but who may not have a truck
with a hydralyc tailgate, a hired man etc...

I also find that many practices in beekeeping are highly regionalized and
also idiosyncratic.  Unfortunately the best way to learn how to keep bees
is to grow up with 1000 hives in your back yard, and since not all of us
are this fortunate (ha-ha), we shouldn't wonder that others have many
guestions.

I guess my point is that number of colonies doesn't equal expertise.

(my personal opinion is that expertise is a function of intelligence, but
we would think someone who says "I'm smart, therefore I'm right begs the
question)

BTW, an excellent, pratical an uptodate beekeeping book is the one I
refered to earlier.  IE, The Honey Bee: A guide for beekeepers" by Vickery
(particle press, 1991).  It has some good discussion of some issues in
keeping bees in northern climes (ontario and north USA). The Norther
prairies is a more extremme case (manitoba sask alberta) which I have yet
to see properly discussed in book length form.

Talk to you later, Phil.

-- 
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Phil Veldhuis           |  "if something is not worth doing, 
Winnipeg. MB, Canada    |  it is not worth doing right"
[email-masked] |                     Dave Barry (1985)

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From: [email-masked] (Matchstic)
Date: 27 Apr 1994 23:03:02 -0400

In article <[email-masked]>, [email-masked] (Phil
Veldhuis) writes:

<My experience with hobiest/commercial interchange is that it is
frustrating and often unproductive.  For instance, commercial beekeepers
often worry more about equipment and anomalous hive management practices
than the basic management of normal hives.  Whereas hobbiest beekeepers
are more interested in getting feedback about fairly basic (though
crucial) tasks and management.>

  What about the new sideliners?
I've been trying to go from the hobbiest level to the sideliner level in one
Giant Step. This seems to be the perfect forum to exchnage ideas and tips at
all levels ,therby allowing the individual the opportunity to filter out what
they will.

 The situation Im running into is a huge load of book knowledge and limited
hands on experience (but Im a fast learn, thankfully)
 So please, you commercial and semi commercial producers let us hear your tips
and input.
seeya
 Mike Vincent
 [email-masked]