While I like much of what Bob says, I do not agree this time, but agree with
what the German writer has said.  Too many people who are interested in
beekeeping
believe that good beekeeping is easy to learn and not much to learn, and that
one can learn from "on the job" training with little need to do much reading
about the findings of the bee scientists and bee researchers of today.  It
was not a beekeeper
who found some of more important things of today, but a bee scientist who
found
and developed SMR bees, Hygienic bees, Terramycin to replace sulfanilamide in
1951, Fumadil-B for nosema which was discovered by bee researchers, Menthol,
Apistan, CheckMite while some beekeepers are still losing bees by the use of
their
"home-brewed" remedies like food grade mineral oil or wintergreen oil.

Beekeeping needs the bee scientists to produce the things that a good
beekeeper can properly use in the ART of beekeeping, and attempting to be a
well informed beekeeper by listening to the anthropomorphic answers by many so
-called beeKEEPERS is a folly.  Good beekeeping today results from a well
informed apiarist
who has learned the skills of the art of good beekeeping, but the primary
source of
those components and management techniques to beeKEEPING come from the bee
scientists and bee researchers, rather than the beekeeper.

Bob said he is "still learning".  I like that!  It is a shame that too many
people think
that beekeeping is simple, not requiring much endeavor, very little hard
work, do it
in YOUR OWN leisure time, and requires no help from science.  2002 starts by
70th
year of beekeeping in Maryland, and believe me- I AM STILL LEARNING - and it
is so
rewarding when year after year, you don't have any colony losses, exceed your
state honey production figures by a bundle, and are sought after to teach or
write.  But I
follow every word written by people like Shimanuki, Harbo, Spivak, Nasr,
Caron,
Delaplane, Tew, Winston, Laidlaw, Page, & Gary just to name a few of the
scientists
Now if you really want to go back into bygone days, I guess one of the
greatest
bee researchers this country ever had (and I still value what he says
although we are both pretty old) is Steve Tabor who converted me from 15
years with Italian bees to Carniolans back in 1948 to take advantage of
Maryland's very early nectar
flow from April 15th to May 31st and we are done for the year.  Steve also
started
the work with Rothenbuhler on Hygienic bees way back in the 1950's, but had
to stop because no one was interested in paying him for that research then.

I end this long note with a fond tribute to Bob, in that, although not a
scientist, Bob
is well informed and well read and obviously a fine beekeeper that all should
would
do well to follow.

Bob, I am giving a 4 hour talk and workshop in January at the ABF Savannah
meeting about "Improving Your Beekeeping Management Techniques", in spite of
being disabled by 5 strokes.  I was told they didn't want my infirm body and
bad voice, but just my brains.   If I find myself getting tarred and
feathered, I will yell for your help.

George Imirie
Certified EAS Master Beekeeper
Author of George's PINK PAGES