OT: any beekeepers here?

[mistermo]

I was driving home from work and heard this interview with EO Wilson on NPR, discussing "superorganisms", such as bees and ants. Simply stated, a superorganism acts collectively, as an individual organism. It's the exact opposite of our capitalist-society which teaches us that if we act individually, then the collective society benefits or advances. As someone who's studied Economics, I found the idea fascinating and novel. This program single-handedly got me interested in keeping bees. EO Wilson, Superorganisms

Going off the rails, I play a game: I think Thos Jefferson was a brilliant man, and was ahead of his time in multiple areas, art, politics, agriculture, architecture, engineering, you name it. As advanced as he was, if we transplanted him abruptly into today's world, he'd have no idea of everyday items surrounding us. And he lived a mere 250yrs ago, a fraction of time in the historical sense.

Then, I try to imagine a world 250 years from now, realizing I have no ability to imagine what's coming. One of my theories is that men have outlived our usefulness or relevance. We're no longer needed for physical strength, for labor, protection, procreation, even sex. In fact, our testosterone may have already become a liability, since men are more prone to violence than women. Bees and ants are female-centric societies. Maybe that's where we'll end up in 250yrs.

[Tickdoc]

Originally Posted by mistermo

I was driving home from work and heard this interview with EO Wilson on NPR, discussing "superorganisms", such as bees and ants. Simply stated, a superorganism acts collectively, as an individual organism. It's the exact opposite of our capitalist-society which teaches us that if we act individually, then the collective society benefits or advances. As someone who's studied Economics, I found the idea fascinating and novel. This program single-handedly got me interested in keeping bees. EO Wilson, Superorganisms

Going off the rails, I play a game: I think Thos Jefferson was a brilliant man, and was ahead of his time in multiple areas, art, politics, agriculture, architecture, engineering, you name it. As advanced as he was, if we transplanted him abruptly into today's world, he'd have no idea of everyday items surrounding us. And he lived a mere 250yrs ago, a fraction of time in the historical sense.

Then, I try to imagine a world 250 years from now, realizing I have no ability to imagine what's coming. One of my theories is that men have outlived our usefulness or relevance. We're no longer needed for physical strength, for labor, protection, procreation, even sex. In fact, our testosterone may have already become a liability, since men are more prone to violence than women. Bees and ants are female-centric societies. Maybe that's where we'll end up in 250yrs.

Yeah, but I really just want some honey

[Seramount]

my dad decide to become an apiarist in his 80s...

watched him smoke the hives and remove the honey a few times....even with all the protective gear on, he got stung a few times. gave the old guy props for dealing with that...

unfortunately, a fungus took out all his bees and he gave up the hobby.

[mistermo]

Originally Posted by Tickdoc

Yeah, but I really just want some honey

This'll be the most expensive honey you've ever bought! It's a cool thing to explore and your land looks ideal.

[Tickdoc]

Originally Posted by mistermo

This'll be the most expensive honey you've ever bought! It's a cool thing to explore and your land looks ideal.

Thanks! We lease it for hay and pecans. It is full of clover and lespedeza in the spring. Blackberies too. It is only used for hunting these days but so fun to hang out on adding bees has been a long time goal.

I am hopeful and I have a big time confession.....I really AM only in it for the honey.

I have an niece that just moved back from Nashville and expressed interest in learning. I called a friend who has many hives and has collected honey for years wanting to know if he would teach her.

He called me back the next day and said he was dropping a hive by yesterday. I guess they came across a swarm that needed a home and the timing was perfect.

She gets a new hobby, I get honey.

[gibbo]

I have two hives, they are not that much work and we get way more honey than we can consume. Let me know if you have any questions.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[hartmmike]

You may have issues when you go to move the hive to it's permanent location. The rule of thumb I learned was: Move a hive less than 3 feet or more than 3 miles, otherwise the bees will go to the temporary location not the hive.

[Tickdoc]

Originally Posted by hartmmike

You may have issues when you go to move the hive to it's permanent location. The rule of thumb I learned was: Move a hive less than 3 feet or more than 3 miles, otherwise the bees will go to the temporary location not the hive.

I hope not. They wont' be going far when moved, but up on cinder blocks and against a fence.

[mistermo]

Originally Posted by Tickdoc

I hope not. They wont' be going far when moved, but up on cinder blocks and against a fence.

This advice is correct. Bees have an acute and precise GPS system. If you move their hive a few feet away, it's not far enough to reset their inner GPS. They'll go to the original location and the hive won't be there. It's important to move it at night when they're inside, far away, which will reset their inner GPS. Then, do it again a day or two later to the location that's a few feet away from the original location.

[tv_vt]

Kept bees for many years. They are amazing little creatures, cute as the dickens. I had too much honey to know what to do with it all.

There is a lot to learn about the hobby. But first, do you know you don't have any allergic reactions to bee bites? You need to be sure, cuz if you do, you shouldn't be keeping bees.

For smoker fuel, try to find some old burlap bags. That material works great in a smoker. And a good smoker is your friend. That, and calm movements around the hives. No sudden jarring movements to get them riled up.

And if by chance you seem to have a nasty bunch of bees, you may just have to get a different strain. Re-queening a hive is tricky, but satisfying.

And on and on.

Lots of good books out there. Some quite folksy, but still good. Have fun.

PS. Do you have bears or skunks around very often? Both like bees. One reason I don't keep bees now is that bears would just destroy a hive to get at the bees and the honey. Skunks like to munch on bees, too.

[Bostic]

The neighbor behind our backyard has had a hive for about a year. I see the bees coming and going from the living room window throughout the day.

Our yard has several fruit trees and those bees are helping to pollinate. Meyer Lemon, Lime, Cuban Shaddock, Quince and a large Fig tree.

[joosttx]

Originally Posted by mistermo

I was driving home from work and heard this interview with EO Wilson on NPR, discussing "superorganisms", such as bees and ants. Simply stated, a superorganism acts collectively, as an individual organism. It's the exact opposite of our capitalist-society which teaches us that if we act individually, then the collective society benefits or advances. As someone who's studied Economics, I found the idea fascinating and novel. This program single-handedly got me interested in keeping bees. EO Wilson, Superorganisms

Going off the rails, I play a game: I think Thos Jefferson was a brilliant man, and was ahead of his time in multiple areas, art, politics, agriculture, architecture, engineering, you name it. As advanced as he was, if we transplanted him abruptly into today's world, he'd have no idea of everyday items surrounding us. And he lived a mere 250yrs ago, a fraction of time in the historical sense.

Then, I try to imagine a world 250 years from now, realizing I have no ability to imagine what's coming. One of my theories is that men have outlived our usefulness or relevance. We're no longer needed for physical strength, for labor, protection, procreation, even sex. In fact, our testosterone may have already become a liability, since men are more prone to violence than women. Bees and ants are female-centric societies. Maybe that's where we'll end up in 250yrs.

Bees are interesting creatures. Yes virtually all bees in a hive are female. But not like females like mammals. Their female is a result of being from a fertilized egg and not the X or Y sex chromosomes. Females in the bee world only have a full set the chromosomes where males only have half.. When the Queen mates with males, a 30 feet in the air gangbang resulting in ripping the males cockle-doodle-do out of it body to prevent other males from inseminating her, she stores the sperm in an internal pouch call the spermatheca. When she lays the 1000's of eggs and fertilizes most by the sperm stored in the spermatheca. The rest are not fertilized are males. The fertilized eggs become worker bees, the females. The Queen controls her workers through pheromones she releases within the hive. They are basically chemically castrated by the chemicals she is releases. When the hive gets too big or she gets too old then her ability to distribute her pheromones is lessen and the hive rebels against her or at least some of it. The life of a honeybee is a screwed up slave/matrix society to make high caloric, sweet golden juice.

One of the Professors on my Doctorate committee was one of or the first graduate student EO Wilson had at Harvard. As a result and being the only Fulbright Fellow in the Entomology Department at UGA I was invited to a cocktail party for him when he visited UGA. It was really neat to meet him up close. A very kind, gentle and unassuming genius.

[arimajol]

Originally Posted by joosttx

Bees are interesting creatures. Yes virtually all bees in a hive are female. But not like females like mammals. Their female is a result of being clones of the queen bee. Females in the bee world only have half the chromosomes of males. When the Queen mates with males, a 30 feet in the air gangbang resulting in ripping the males cockle-doodle-do out of it body to prevent other males from inseminating her, she stores the sperm in an internal pouch call the spermatheca. When she lays the 1000's of eggs only a few are fertilized by the sperm stored in the spermatheca. The rest are not fertilized and are basically clones of the Queen. Those clones are the female worker bees. The fertilized eggs become drones, the males. The Queen controls her workers through pheromones she releases within the hive. They are basically chemically castrated by the chemicals she is releases. When the hive gets too big or she gets too old then her ability to distribute her pheromones is lessen and the hive rebels against her or at least some of it. The life of a honeybee is a screwed up slave/matrix society to make high caloric, sweet golden juice.

One of the Professors on my Doctorate committee was one of or the first graduate student EO Wilson had at Harvard. As a result and being the only Fulbright Fellow in the Entomology Department at UGA I was invited to a cocktail party for him when he visited UGA. It was really neat to meet him up close. A very kind, gentle and unassuming genius.

Yes! So interesting. And that if the queen is sick or not performing, the hive can collectively decide to make a new one using royal jelly. I can't believe we made it this far without anybody mentioning royal jelly! The big queen cells look like peanuts in the shell, goobering out of the comb. Then the first one that emerges attacks the other cells, before going out to mate, looking for the Drone Congregation Area. I half forgot about all this stuff.

[Tickdoc]

Originally Posted by tv_vt

Kept bees for many years. They are amazing little creatures, cute as the dickens. I had too much honey to know what to do with it all.

There is a lot to learn about the hobby. But first, do you know you don't have any allergic reactions to bee bites? You need to be sure, cuz if you do, you shouldn't be keeping bees.

For smoker fuel, try to find some old burlap bags. That material works great in a smoker. And a good smoker is your friend. That, and calm movements around the hives. No sudden jarring movements to get them riled up.

And if by chance you seem to have a nasty bunch of bees, you may just have to get a different strain. Re-queening a hive is tricky, but satisfying.

And on and on.

Lots of good books out there. Some quite folksy, but still good. Have fun.

PS. Do you have bears or skunks around very often? Both like bees. One reason I don't keep bees now is that bears would just destroy a hive to get at the bees and the honey. Skunks like to munch on bees, too.

Fortunately I will not be the one to move them or tend them. I know they were moved in at night and I imagine they will be moved to there next home at night.

No bears but yes to skunks, as well as beaver, muskrat, armadillos, and opossum aplenty.

[Tickdoc]

Originally Posted by joosttx

Bees are interesting creatures. Yes virtually all bees in a hive are female. But not like females like mammals. Their female is a result of being clones of the queen bee. Females in the bee world only have half the chromosomes of males. When the Queen mates with males, a 30 feet in the air gangbang resulting in ripping the males cockle-doodle-do out of it body to prevent other males from inseminating her, she stores the sperm in an internal pouch call the spermatheca. When she lays the 1000's of eggs only a few are fertilized by the sperm stored in the spermatheca. The rest are not fertilized and are basically clones of the Queen. Those clones are the female worker bees. The fertilized eggs become drones, the males. The Queen controls her workers through pheromones she releases within the hive. They are basically chemically castrated by the chemicals she is releases. When the hive gets too big or she gets too old then her ability to distribute her pheromones is lessen and the hive rebels against her or at least some of it. The life of a honeybee is a screwed up slave/matrix society to make high caloric, sweet golden juice.

One of the Professors on my Doctorate committee was one of or the first graduate student EO Wilson had at Harvard. As a result and being the only Fulbright Fellow in the Entomology Department at UGA I was invited to a cocktail party for him when he visited UGA. It was really neat to meet him up close. A very kind, gentle and unassuming genius.

I'm not sure what I just read but insect sex is the worst kind of sex.