>> As we have repeatedly discovered, trying to advise beginners by email is a largely fool's errand.

> I found this response a little harsh.  It's not clear if the author is calling the original poster or anyone who responds the fool, but regardless, whenever I see such terms as fool or idiot or moron or ...., I am inclined to hit the delete key.

Give me a break.  It is an _expression_.  It means that the task is futile.  

> I was interested in the original question of putting sugar cubes in an empty frame because it's not something I ever would have thought of doing, mainly due to the work involved. 

There are many reasons it is a bad idea, especially when there are so many good and simple solutions.  We have discussed them here at length, and the only way for anyone to know what is best for the person asking is for someone who knows bees and the locale to advise, not some of us hundreds or thousands of miles away to guess.

> I anticipated the bags of sugar advice and remember learning that trick when Dave Green first posted it 15 or so years ago.  

Sure, i've been to Dave's and seen it in practice, using wet newspaper.  You can also read about it on BeeSource where it is called the Mountain Camp Method.  It works in the south, but has drawbacks in the north.  I would never use it.  Never.  As Murray said, use fondant before that.  It tends to be an emergency measure, and we don't even know if there is an emergency.

> There's gold in them there archives!  Murray's advice of soaking 'til the bags start to sink is a new slant (to me), so I learned a new trick from what some might feel was an ignorant query.  We don't all know it all.

Murray has posted it here before, I believe.

>My point being, we all have to begin at the beginning.  When you're at the beginning it's easy to be intimidated by those in the advanced game, and when you're in the advanced game it's easy to forget that we all begin at the beginning.  

It takes all kinds.  There are jerks everywhere.  And there are nice people everywhere.  The number of hives does not matter in the least, but attitude does.  Maybe you had a bad experience where someone else would have found it educating.

In my experience, the truly nice people are the ones who are realistic and understand that as much as you would like to help everyone, that by attempting to help someone who cannot be helped by what you can offer, you actually do harm by delaying their seeking real help.

> The best advice I can offer those at the beginning is to seek out local mentors, attend local, state, regional and national meetings.

Isn't that exactly what I said?

> and don't take offense if you're called a "piker" along the way.  The tips, advice and lessons you'll get along the way are invaluable.  And after a long journey remember the days when you were a guppy, and appreciate what you've accomplished, and be proud that you are able to help those who are at the beginning.

And don't take offense if people misunderstand what you say and read things that you do not intend into you words.

It is all part of life.

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