BangerterHarp
New Bee
- Joined
- Nov 15, 2019
- Messages
- 17
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Montana , USA , 3000 ft , Zone 4-5
- Hive Type
- Other
.....I am new to this the Beekeeping forum and I am sure there are threads here that I have yet to read but I wanted to bring up a point that seems so often over looked or otherwise skirted around or ignored entirely. I will do my best to be as brief as I can force myself to be...
..... If we were to go back in time before humans took over choice of hive from Apis Mellifera , the species chose suitable hives for their environment or they perished. By suitable , that could mean a well insulated tree hollow or the static environment of a deep crack in a rock face. Of course , in a mild climate like the Mediterranean bees would need less substantial shelter and it is entirely reasonable that the standard 3/4"(19mm) box so commonly used by beekeepers around the world might be sufficient . Still this thin walled box , so convenient for the beekeeper , does very little to shelter the bees from the sweltering summer heat in comparison to a hollow in a tree or crag in a rock face.
.....For those of us and our charges who live with more hostile winters it simply is beyond my ability to imagine why we should belief our bees should do equally well in such a poorly conceived , from the bees standpoint , design. I would akin that belief with shaving your house pet , kicking them out into the snow , expecting them to thrive , then being surprised and frustrated at the discovery come spring that your supposedly beloved pet has perished.
.....Of course the "beekeeper" then draws their loaded gun of the dreaded Varroa destructor or some other parasite , exhaustive list of diseases or that farmer or neighbor who put poison on their fields/plants. I was even told by a commercial beekeeper recently, " One of the neighbors must have poisoned them!" upon discovering 3 dead outs in a yard of 6 colonies. When all else fails , the name that should never be mentioned is drawn like the button for a nuclear device ..... CCD!!! ? That's like a doctor diagnosing your illness as "Something's not right with you!"
.....However , I am not posting this thread to debate the reality of these , aforementioned maladies of modern Apis Mellifera. In fact , Varroa and other pests can be a serious problem for many and disease of any kind is an inarguable threat. The amount of chemicals dumped into our environment and some beekeepers hives is frankly , horrifying. As for other fantastic excuses to why our bees die , I leave that to the teller of the story and to the intellect of the subscriber.
..... Having only kept bees for the past half decade I would certainly still consider myself a new beekeeper with much still to learn about the European honey bee and I endeavor to learn more. After the first broiling summer with our bees housed in simple 3/4" Langstroth boxes followed by a typical harsh winter , my wife and I realized that something indeed was wrong. In fact , many things were wrong , but most strikingly to us was the poor excuse for homes we had so naively provided our charges although 2 of our 6 colonies did manage to survive and continued to thrive despite are negligence. I set to work researching and trying to design hives better suited to the bees needs that spring and although my endeavor still evolves , our bees continue to thrive with absolutely no treatment and as little stress as we can manage to put on the bees.
.....To make a short story quite long , my question to the beekeepers of this forum around the world , is why , as dim as my little light shines , is it not universally understood that bees , like all creatures , need appropriate shelter if they are to survive , let alone make us the honey crop we so emphatically demand of them. I do understand that commercial beekeepers often look solely at the bottom line just as many "businessmen" see not the person but the number. My questions are not directed to them but to the sensible true bee steward , which is in my opinion all we are to this magnificent creature who endured for eons before mankind took the reins.
.....I would very much like to hear of others experiences in proper bee housing along with any and all plans and details that you are willing to share with our community for " The Greater Good" of the mankind and beekind alike.
.....In closing I would like to simply state in my opinion , as this in the end is all that I have presented here. Well housed bees with little molestation from the bee steward equates to healthier bees with far less loss which equates to more honey which equates to more money which ultimately should appeal to even the greediest of the Ebenezer clan. Some will be angered by my comments and lash out with insults and "statistics" but I feel no matter what I could have written this would always be the case. I am simply relating what I have found to be self evident inside the scope of my limited experience and observation of the bees themselves in my specific region.
.....Cheers to all and let us have an educating discussion , shall we ?
..... If we were to go back in time before humans took over choice of hive from Apis Mellifera , the species chose suitable hives for their environment or they perished. By suitable , that could mean a well insulated tree hollow or the static environment of a deep crack in a rock face. Of course , in a mild climate like the Mediterranean bees would need less substantial shelter and it is entirely reasonable that the standard 3/4"(19mm) box so commonly used by beekeepers around the world might be sufficient . Still this thin walled box , so convenient for the beekeeper , does very little to shelter the bees from the sweltering summer heat in comparison to a hollow in a tree or crag in a rock face.
.....For those of us and our charges who live with more hostile winters it simply is beyond my ability to imagine why we should belief our bees should do equally well in such a poorly conceived , from the bees standpoint , design. I would akin that belief with shaving your house pet , kicking them out into the snow , expecting them to thrive , then being surprised and frustrated at the discovery come spring that your supposedly beloved pet has perished.
.....Of course the "beekeeper" then draws their loaded gun of the dreaded Varroa destructor or some other parasite , exhaustive list of diseases or that farmer or neighbor who put poison on their fields/plants. I was even told by a commercial beekeeper recently, " One of the neighbors must have poisoned them!" upon discovering 3 dead outs in a yard of 6 colonies. When all else fails , the name that should never be mentioned is drawn like the button for a nuclear device ..... CCD!!! ? That's like a doctor diagnosing your illness as "Something's not right with you!"
.....However , I am not posting this thread to debate the reality of these , aforementioned maladies of modern Apis Mellifera. In fact , Varroa and other pests can be a serious problem for many and disease of any kind is an inarguable threat. The amount of chemicals dumped into our environment and some beekeepers hives is frankly , horrifying. As for other fantastic excuses to why our bees die , I leave that to the teller of the story and to the intellect of the subscriber.
..... Having only kept bees for the past half decade I would certainly still consider myself a new beekeeper with much still to learn about the European honey bee and I endeavor to learn more. After the first broiling summer with our bees housed in simple 3/4" Langstroth boxes followed by a typical harsh winter , my wife and I realized that something indeed was wrong. In fact , many things were wrong , but most strikingly to us was the poor excuse for homes we had so naively provided our charges although 2 of our 6 colonies did manage to survive and continued to thrive despite are negligence. I set to work researching and trying to design hives better suited to the bees needs that spring and although my endeavor still evolves , our bees continue to thrive with absolutely no treatment and as little stress as we can manage to put on the bees.
.....To make a short story quite long , my question to the beekeepers of this forum around the world , is why , as dim as my little light shines , is it not universally understood that bees , like all creatures , need appropriate shelter if they are to survive , let alone make us the honey crop we so emphatically demand of them. I do understand that commercial beekeepers often look solely at the bottom line just as many "businessmen" see not the person but the number. My questions are not directed to them but to the sensible true bee steward , which is in my opinion all we are to this magnificent creature who endured for eons before mankind took the reins.
.....I would very much like to hear of others experiences in proper bee housing along with any and all plans and details that you are willing to share with our community for " The Greater Good" of the mankind and beekind alike.
.....In closing I would like to simply state in my opinion , as this in the end is all that I have presented here. Well housed bees with little molestation from the bee steward equates to healthier bees with far less loss which equates to more honey which equates to more money which ultimately should appeal to even the greediest of the Ebenezer clan. Some will be angered by my comments and lash out with insults and "statistics" but I feel no matter what I could have written this would always be the case. I am simply relating what I have found to be self evident inside the scope of my limited experience and observation of the bees themselves in my specific region.
.....Cheers to all and let us have an educating discussion , shall we ?
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