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Author Topic: Working with small children?  (Read 1366 times)

Offline Caelansbees

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Working with small children?
« on: September 03, 2012, 01:05:33 pm »
Hey all, I'm sure many enjoy passing what we know to the younger generations.  My nephew has recently taken great interest in the bees and working them with me.  He is 7. I get him all suited up with a veil and gloves and he will work the smoke or help change jars for feeding.  For now he only gets to go into the nucs or smaller hive as well as help feed the others.  I don't want to get him into any trouble while working bigger hives just yet.  He has not been stung yet.  We keep epipens around both adult and junior. 
How did anyone else deal with a child's first sting once it finally happened? Getting them to go back. Any recommendations for further keeping them safe as possible?  Fun things to show them or experiments they should try? Thanks!

Offline timdalyiii

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Re: Working with small children?
« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2012, 09:29:11 pm »
My 14 and 12 year old have lost interest in hands on.  My 9 year old is still very interested.  There seems to be a cycle.  Over the course of one or two seasons he becomes over confident.  Then he gets stung (just this past Saturday when I picked up a second colony). His actions also got me tagged on the wrist.  Then his respect of the colony is renewed and he is cautious again.  It has not kept him from wanting to be involved.

He loves to look at the frames of bees and try and identify drones and look for the queen, etc. I try to explain what we're looking at (if I know).

Offline AllenF

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Re: Working with small children?
« Reply #2 on: September 03, 2012, 09:44:40 pm »
My son was 3 (maybe 2) when he first got himself stung.  Daddies boy always has to help in what ever I am trying to get done.  So it was a pain to keep him back from the hives.   I put a adult size bee jacket on him (fits like a dress) and he tries to help.   He is getting better at running the smoker now at age 6.  Just go slow with kids.  Show them stuff and give them little jobs to do so you can get the work done.  If they complain about getting hot, let him work without the bee suit.  My kid just does not understand the do not slap a bee on your skin rule.

Offline colbees

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Re: Working with small children?
« Reply #3 on: September 04, 2012, 08:52:10 am »
im 14 and have my own hive, have gotten stung and keep going back:)
A swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay; A swarm of bees in June is worth a silver spoon; A swarm of bees in July isn't worth a fly.

Offline mikecva

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Re: Working with small children?
« Reply #4 on: September 04, 2012, 12:19:45 pm »
I have a son I am trying to spray down with banana flavored tequila, but he will not stand still.  :lau: :lau: :lau: 

Actually my two grand sons 7 and 9 help out in the yard. They like the bees and the honey but for some strange reason they do not canr to be stung.   -Mike
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