Karen, I’m not sure I understand your basic complaint. Are you upset
about incompetent teaching or too many new beekeepers? Or a loss of
business from new beekeeping supply shops?

 I don’t know how it is in Maine but here we get loads of new
beekeepers who don’t get any instruction at all. I get calls for
countless nucs or for advice each season from folks who bought a book
or found an internet message board.

On the other hand, I get calls from previous years’ students asking
about things that were covered in class. Without a lot of
reinforcement much of the material gets ‘lost’.

At the end of the day, in my opinion, those newcomers who aren’t
genuinely passionate or motivated will disappear in the first
season….especially with your winters, I’d think. And with time those
popup shops will go away as well. But, for the present, why don’t you
organize your own beginners program? From my experience those who
attend classes are people who are serious about getting good and
complete information. If you don’t believe it’s being offered
elsewhere….do it yourself.

-- 
Dan Harris

             ***********************************************
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