Thanks t all. My concern was with the teaching that hobby beekeepers get,
and if any of that transferred to commercial beekeepers. I did not think it
did but my visit to the commercial beekeepers apiary made me wonder.
Obviously it was not typical but reflective of the owner.

I look at swarm season as increase season, which seems to be the approach
of commercial beekeepers. A beekeeper should know what happens to their
bees during the year and take advantage of that, so swarm season is the
time to increase.

The irony of some things that are taught to beginning beekeepers include
feeding sugar syrup and pollen substitute early ( for example about a month
before first pollen) and then are taught how to keep  their bees from
swarming.

In my class I tell them to ask themselves a question in everything they do
in beekeeping- "What are you trying to do?"   For spring feeding, if it is
to increase numbers, go for it, but if not then feeding is counter
productive.

Again, thanks for confirming what I thought was true.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

.

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