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Date: | Wed, 4 Jan 2012 12:57:01 -0600 |
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>>>A new beekeeper in an urban environment _has_ to take a bit more
>>>responsibility than a new beekeeper in the country.
The critical point is that the new beekeeper needs to have both guidance and
a method for dealing with swarms - especially in an urban environment. As
much as a beekeeper thinks a swarm (from someone else's colony) is cool and
fun, the general public does not understand and over reacts. The best I can
do for my students is (1) give them a means of discouraging inadvertant
swarms and (2) a way allowing the bees to exercise their swarming urge in a
neighbor friendly way. I am thinking that could be (1) a slatted rack and
(2) a Snelgrove board. But I have never tried suggesting these to the
beekeeping initiate. Maybe this year.
I have talked with new but not first-year beekeepers about these techniques.
I don't know of any beginner beekeeping books that do either. Yet, they
may work well in an urban environment.
I am a country beekeeper trying to help the urban guy. Even though I do not
have the urban experience, I can draw from the experience of others. I base
my urban bee thinking on an article written by Larry Connor a few years ago.
I also suggest that aspiring beekeepers avoid starting a discussion with the
city fathers, but very certainly confer with their neighbors. If the
neighbors are OK with bees at their bird bath or a swarm in the tree, the
city will not want to be involved.
>>>So much in beekeeping is learned by making mistakes...
True. We have all been there. I would hope that a well developed beginner
program would help to ease the learning curve. The reason for my post is
that I am a couple of weeks from setting the topics for my upcoming bee
classes. Each year improves a bit... I hope.
Larry Krengel
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