With a different viewpoint (Australian) as a commercial beekeeper I tried to
'know' each and every one of my 'individual' hives. If I didn't, it became
unproductive, and when trying to maximise returns, the aim was to have as
many productive units as possible. This applied to the queens, the
nutrition, the honey stores, their readiness for overwintering, disease
status, everything. Having gone through the full circle from hobbyist to
commercial and back to hobbyist, over a period of 30 years, the only
difference was the amount of work and commitment I had to put in to know
1000 hives as compared to 30. The aims were the same.

Hobbyists may be key to the survival of the bees but commercial beekeepers
are key to the pollination of crops and the security of food production.
Each has a role to play. 

Des

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