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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Roy Nettlebeck <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Wed, 10 Jul 2002 22:22:49 -0700
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Allen Dick wrote:

>e -- what I
>really said about the physical (no mention of psyche) differences that can
>and do exist between individual bees.  Readers may wish to consider the
>significance of those differences.  I know from long personal experience
>that understanding them can mean the difference between success and failure
>as a beekeeper.
>
Hi Allen and All,
   This is too good. I just finished my second long day in my bee hives.
Observation of a hive and its workers takes time. 20 to 30 minutes per
hive if your fast.Looking at a bee under a microscope will not tell you
much. Watch how they stand and walk will tell you a lot. All workers do
NOT walk the same. They do not stand the same either.Check how many are
rubbing there antennae a lot. Not all workers are equal and it is not
just genetics. Its complex to a point that we can only get a piece here
and there with research. Understanding bees will not come out of a book.
Allen has put his years in and I know I have and still learning
everyday. Those that turn over every rock will do well.

>
>
>>
>
>
>
>.  The important
>point being made is that each bee IS an individual. It may be a member of a
>cadre of similar bees, but no matter how apparently similar to another bee
>it may be, two bees cannot occupy the same space or time line and have
>exactly the same history or experience.  Knowing this and remembering this
>is one of the things that distinguishes a master beekeeper from just any
>other beekeeper.
>
>Obviously bees from different hives and regions are likely to differ quite
>markedly, but within a hive there are also huge differences.  The degree of
>difference between two bees in any given hive depends on a number of
>factors, including time and date, the season of the year, patriline,
>nutrition (and there is evidence that bees favour some larvae over others),
>any parasitism that occurs during pupation, any accidents that occur during
>the larval or pupal stages, any local pollution of the section of comb
>where the egg is laid, etc, etc.
>
>Although -- for many purposes -- the subtle differences are not important,
>or even readily detectable, the differences exist.  Sometimes they are not
>important, but sometimes they are essential to understanding what is going
>on in the hive.
>
>
>
>>
>
>Disagree.  A "master beekeeper" would avoid such touchy-freely
>statements that presume some sort of mystical insight into the
>psyche of bees, and stick to practical statements that can be
>proven true or false by experiment or experience.
>
>
>        jim
> Beekeeping is art and science. Not just one. We are working on sound and trying to graphically illustrate how much man is understanding by the sound of a hive. If you put enough hours in beehives , you can tell what the problem is , soon as you lift the lid. I have even done it in the dark for a friend. Its not star wars , its tuned into the bees. I don't have the answer . Maybe some day man will back down off of his high perch and let nature lead him to some answers.
>Enjoy the wonders of nature. We are part of it , not above it. Your bees will show you the way if you look close enough. You will see a difference in your individual bees. Start with spring bees and summer bees. See witch ones stands up straighter for starters. You could write a book on it.
>
 Very Best Regards
Roy

>

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