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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Mike Stoops <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 26 Jan 2006 19:43:43 -0800
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Thoughts on a bee inspector.  These thoughts are open to discussion and are subject to change for good and valid reasons.

The inspector is going to have to be knowledgeable, up to date, work excessive hours when he/she is out inspecting, have a portable autoclave, a number of sets of inspection equipment, be provided with a dependable vehicle.

A.  Good bee inspectors should have a minimum of required training before going on the road.  This should include formal training and hands-on experience.  How much?  That’s open to discussion and input from those old hands in inspection and their trainers/teachers.

B.  In the off season for inspections, part of their time should be spent in updating their knowledge base.  There should be a central clearing house for valid updated material and this material should be provided by e-mail to the inspectors and also be made available to any who would take the trouble to log on and read.

C.  During the spring/summer/fall seasons, the inspector would be expected to spend extra hours on the work week.  My initial feeling would be that he/she start one (1) hour after sunup and continue with breaks and lunch and supper breaks until one-quarter (1/4) hour before sunset for four days a week.  I’m thinking Wednesday through Saturday.  For those states with a high number of commercial operations.  Those might be inspected on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and the sideliners and hobbyist be scheduled for inspection on Fridays and Saturdays.  Of course, weather would play a part in this.  I wouldn’t have wanted my hives inspected while Hurricane Ivan was blowing through.  I think the inspections should be scheduled with the owners of the hives.

D & E   The inspector should have four or five sets of tools to use during inspection.  As these are used,  after each yard inspected each set should be set aside to be autoclaved before use again.  With five sets of tools, after the third set is used they could be prepared and placed in the autoclave for sterilization while inspecting succeeding sites.  One-half (1/2) or one (1) hour of sterilization under pressure should suffice to sterilize tools and equipment used.

F  The vehicle used should be one designed for this specific use, not just some pickup truck handed to the inspector.  Not only should the truck be set up for bee inspection use, it should provide the maximum comfort possible for the inspector during the trips to the inspection sites.  With the large amount of time spent on the road the inspector is going to be subject to a lot more of the hazards of road travel than most other jobs.  Lets make him/her as comfortable and at ease during these trips as possible.

G  The inspector should have access to communication and also be accessible while inroute.  This would include voice operated phone communication and GPS navigation.

Time off.   With the long hours spent Wednesday through Saturday, I think the inspector should have Sunday through Tuesday off each week.  Also time should be provided for compensation during the winter months for the excess time spent on the job during the other months.  During this time ongoing training/education should take place.

These are my off-the-cuff thoughts.  They are open to modification, exclusion, and supplementation.  Let’s give these people some good support for the job they do.  I do believe that with proper supervision they too ought to be able to run a number of hives; maybe not the numbers that commercial beekeepers do, but certainly more than two or three hives.

Mike  Located in lower Alabama and wishing I saw more of my regional inspector.


		
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