>>> To me, knowledge is always better than ignorance.

>> But, does it make ignorance necessarily *bad*? How much do we need to 
>> know?

> ...isn't this the "Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee 
> Biology"?

That is the intent, but we often fall far short.

> Aren't we all proceeding under the assumption that it is better to be 
> informed than not?

There are things I want to know and things I don't want to know.  Think
Sherlock Holmes.  There are other reasons, too.  I suspect that I am not
unusual in that regard.

And that most certainly does not mean just *more* information, but *better*
information. What I seek and what I try to pass on is information of the
highest quality.

No argument on that, and let me say right now, that IMO you do an excellent
job.  Thank you.

>> I was trying to say that if the local bees are so persistent that they 
>> need to be hunted down and eradicated, that there must be some redeeming 
>> quality there

> I would liken the situation to feral dogs and cats. I can't think of any 
> redeeming qualities there. They are just a source of rabies and babies.

I'm going to have to think long and hard on that one, but personally,
although it may be true often, I am pretty sure it is not true in all, or
even most, cases.  Remember, we disagree in some important details on the
best approach to breeding bees.

>> And, I can't believe all those skep keepers were as ignorant as 
>> suggested.

> And they thought the big bee was the King... (Aristotle was the first to 
> seriously study and record the behavior of bees...)

Actually, I really doubt that, although that is what people think, at least
until they really think.

It is easy to spot such errors in hindsight.  Obviously, just as today, some
got details wrong, but how many serious beekeepers wrote, and how much of
the writing has lasted until the present?  Was Aristotle a successful
commercial beekeeper of his time?  I'll wager that there were very effective
and profitable beekeepers who knew what they needed to know and had
ingenious, efficient methods, even if they did not know what a scientist
today thinks is important. Besides, I will wager big money that a lot of
what we think we know now is just as ridiculous.  Our ignorance does not
stop us from doing big things.

Here's to ignorance!  We could not function without it, and I am fortunate
to have plenty to share.

allen 

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