I worked in the building trades for many years. I noticed that many "professionals" possessed only the most superficial knowledge of their craft, although they were far more knowledgeable than the general public. On the other hand, an amateur who did his homework could do excellent work. It's all about your powers of observation, your ability to learn and retain, and perseverance in doing your homework--learning from the vast reservoir of knowledge from those who came before you. There is obviously a benefit from spending every day of your life working with bees, being inside the hives, and observing the rhythms. It is true that the commercial lurkers on this List will chuckle about many of the questions and claims made by the hobbyists--and I can't blame them. This forum is a chance for them to share their knowledge and experience. If you don't want to put your name out--send your posts first to me, and I will post them anomalously. -- Randy Oliver Grass Valley, CA www.ScientificBeekeeping.com *********************************************** The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html Guidelines for posting to BEE-L can be found at: http://honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/guidelines.htm