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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Jerry Bromenshenk <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 11 Jun 2018 12:51:15 -0400
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Tom Seeley concludes:

> If you pursue treatment-free beekeeping without close attention to your colonies ... you will need to monitor closely the mite levels ... and kill those whose mite populations are skyrocketing<
I really wish Dr. Seeley would rename his current form of bee management and reconsider some of his terminology.  The Reader's Digest version of his most recent work and comments, heard at all of the bee clubs, is that he favors Natural Beekeeping and promises success.  Darwinian Beekeeping at it's best.  It's becoming the Treatment-Free and Natural Beekeeping mantra - Dr. Seeley said it, so it must be so.NONE of his close monitoring comments are ever mentioned, or eco-types, or all of the other caveats. His critical admonishment isn't even noticed - due in part, I think that is in part to his terminology.I realize he's very good at writing articles and books that the public can understand, but his latest, and I suspect an editor's hand in selecting the title - Honey Bee Democracy- may be the worst  honey bee anthropomorphism I've encountered, in a discipline where anthropomorphism runs rampant. My original training focused on insect ethology and ecology.  Animal  behavioral society's warn of the tendency to assign human characteristics and behaviors to other animals and that mandate becomes even more pronounced with respect to non-mammalian animals.Apiculture seems to have not only ignored that rule, but thrown away the book.  We talk about Division of Labor.  We call the primary reproductive female a Queen.  We've worker bees, nurse bees, undertaker bees.  We discuss their Societies.  The Natural and Treatment-Free beekeepers have 'happier' bees.  We also have angry bees and killer bees.  Please, don't misconstrue my comments - I highly respect Tom Seeley and his work.  I'll even admit to being somewhat envious of his work and his ability to communicate it to the public.  But his latest presentations, as they get repeated over and over by attendees, lose their context.  Everywhere I and Scott go, we hear about Tom and his Natural Beekeeping that will Save the Bee.  

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