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Author Topic: What your other half thinks of your bees??  (Read 9221 times)

Anonymous

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« on: February 28, 2005, 10:21:57 pm »
:D I'm lucky that I have a better half that likes them. Most of the pictures of bees I have posted here were taken by her  8) . She is a full member in our local bee club :) . She is the libarian for the club and has read nearly every book the club has so she can advize a person as to what is a good book for the subject they are looking for. She had me join SEMBA on the family plan so she would be a member there too.
 :D  She is also the biggest reason we are expanding with a new bee yard and many more colonies than we had first talked about.
 :) She is the mixer,bottler and bottle cleaner of the syrup we feed reguardless of the ratio.
She would much rather spray the bees with sugar water than smoke them to calm them.
Yes My Kare is a beekeeper in her own right, the girls  will be in very good hands if I become unable to care for them.

 :D Al

Offline leominsterbeeman

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2005, 10:37:56 pm »
TT -  This is so funny.  I was just thinking of posting this same question.  

My better half is not into the bees.  :(
She would never say that she doesn't like my hobby, because she knows that would make me unhappy.    :(

But just today, I got home and was home for about 3 hours and I noticed that my March 2005 edition of Bee Culture was sitting at the bottom of the pile of mail. So I said to her, "You didn't tell me that my Bee Culture showed up."  To which she replied, "Oh I didn't notice."   :(

To some that might be grounds for divorce, but apparently she doesn't get as excited about it as I do.


She doesn't help me extract,  she will not help me take tons of honey in from the truck to extract it.   She doen't like that I may leave a frame of honey in the garage and then there will be about 1000 bees in the garage.  :x

And then yesterday, I cleared the dead bees from the observation hive entrance, and there must have been a few live ones that were playing dead, since my daughter reported to me that she found  live bees in the house.  Mrs. Leominsterbeeman just gave me that look.  :evil:


The one thing she does like to do is give my honey away to everyone at church or at the school where she works.  then she acts all proud, "Oh, yes, that's my husband - the beekeeper"  :D
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Offline Lesli

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2005, 10:55:43 pm »
I don't have a better half, so I have to bore my friends with bee stores ande factoids. :)

I'm considering seeing a therapist, because pretty soon, I'll have to pay someone to listen to me talk about bees.
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Lesli

Offline Beth Kirkley

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #3 on: March 01, 2005, 12:34:57 am »
Well, my husband likes my hobby. He doesn't check in on the hives like I do. Or should I say he's not as addicted as I am. :) But when I go in the hive he always wants to know how they are. He helps me harvest the honey. He's not at all afraid of the bees. He'll take pictures for me if I ask. And he always does the heavy work (carrying supers if needed). He also was the one that worked his butt off to try and catch a swarm last year while I was away at the doctors.
When he caught that swarm, it was almost as if my "livestock" had got loose, and he was rounding them up. :) He's been bugging me since then to make him a swarm catching net incase it happens again.

So basiclly, it's my hobby, but he's interested in it's progress and does get involved. I'm very happy with his involvement, because it's usually in areas that require the hard work.

Beth

Offline indypartridge

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2005, 08:00:49 am »
After taking our kids on a field trip to a local beekeeper, my wife suggested that "we" ought to get bees. It was one of those times when a wife says "we" and the husband clearly hears "you."  My first hive is assembled and I'm getting a nuc in the spring. I'm expecting that she will be supportive, but not participate. Time will tell.

Offline Rich V

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2005, 10:47:35 am »
When I first told my wife I was going to keep bees, she looked at me like I was crazy. Shook her head, smile,and said I couldn't bring them in the house. She stand behind me in what ever I do.
Rich V.

Offline TwT

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #6 on: March 01, 2005, 11:11:18 am »
well when me and my wife got married I already had a few game chickens and then I got to where i had the yard and back field covered in birds(averaging about 320 birds a year), she didnt mind but when I told her I was tired of raising them and going to sell them she was seamed happy for some reason, then I told her I was going to get into bee's  :wink: , she shook her head and said 'OLE LORD HERE WE GO AGAIN" :? , when she bought me a few thing for my bee keeping, I asked her, I thought you might not agree with me getting into something else and she told me after 18 years of marrage she new I was going to be neck deep in something, oh well.  I got to have something to do that I enjoy :D  :wink:
THAT's ME TO THE LEFT JUST 5 MONTHS FROM NOW!!!!!!!!

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Offline lively Bee's

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #7 on: March 01, 2005, 11:59:53 am »
At first my wife was afaid of the bee's we took a week long bee keeping class and now she is right with me in the bee yard.

Offline amymcg

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #8 on: March 01, 2005, 05:10:43 pm »
Well, my bf is excited and nervous all at the same time.  He's watching me build all this stuff, and asks me alot of questions.

He said, "I dont' think I've ever been stung by a bee, what if I'm allergic?" and I said, "well, good thing we know how to get to the hospital."

 :D

He knows that at some point he will also be handling these things. He is going to a workshop with me, and I'm hoping the guy running it hands him a frame.

Offline Jay

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #9 on: March 01, 2005, 11:25:47 pm »
My wife doesn't like bees, doesn't like honey (or maple syrup) and thinks I'm crazy! Unfortunately, I can't argue that point with her! :lol:
By the rude bridge that arched the flood
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Offline asleitch

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #10 on: March 02, 2005, 05:12:04 am »
Quote from: leominsterbeeman

The one thing she does like to do is give my honey away to everyone at church or at the school where she works.  then she acts all proud, "Oh, yes, that's my husband - the beekeeper"  :D


That rings a bell. I think my SWMBO has decided that if you can't beat 'em - join 'em - so she came and helped me lift them onto new floors at the W/E. Last year, she only watched from about 10m, this time, she was ok when they poured out as we dislodged the old floors and propolis and lifted them off.

Adam

Offline beemaster

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #11 on: March 02, 2005, 03:28:11 pm »
Ladybee (my better half - surely not just my other half) has helped my many times in the beeyard. She was the photographer on the 2004 Installation Page http://www.beemaster.com/inst2004.html and has no problem handling the frames bare handed. She even did a 4 week apitherapy teatment on her ankle (very tender spot) about 6 years ago after having a tenon tear.

She also enjoys sitting on our front step watching the workers returning in the early evenings packed full of pollen on their legs.

Also, she has changed many of her recipes to use honey rather than sugar - the big adjustment is the water content in baking.

So I'm one of the lucky ones, I have a wife who takes interest in my hobby and assists anytime I need a hand :)
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Offline BigRog

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #12 on: March 02, 2005, 05:02:57 pm »
No significant other right now, but if it counts my friends think either A. I'm nuts (that would be the majority) or B. Cool

Whatever the case they all want honey.
"Lurch my good man,…what did you mean when you said just now that 'You've got better things to do than run my petty little errands'…….?"

Offline amymcg

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #13 on: March 02, 2005, 07:23:11 pm »
So my BF says "How much honey will we get?" and I say, that depends on the weather and a whole bunch of other stuff, and then I say "I thought you didn't like honey."  

"Well I do now, that we're making it."

LOL

 :D

Offline latebee

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #14 on: March 02, 2005, 10:30:42 pm »
At this point in time my wife is supportive and interested but not actively involved with me. She is facinated by the bee's insomuch as the way that nature has provided them with thier own very strict societal rules, and community efforts in brood rearing and honey production. Further my friends are also intrigued by how the bees exhibit such complex behavior within the colony. But I guess I am the only character who is obsessed with them. Good question you have asked here. Now everbody should spread the word so most people aren't as fearful of our little winged friends as they were before we have "educated" them.
The person who walks in another's tracks leaves NO footprints.

Offline Beth Kirkley

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #15 on: March 03, 2005, 08:48:01 am »
I'm trying to get my friends hooked. They love hearing about the bees, and ask lots of questions. But so far they get a little turned off by the cost. I'm just plain addicted I guess. I love it, and don't mind the cost. As far as hobbies go, it is a little high, but soooooo much fun to me.

Beth

Offline asleitch

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #16 on: March 03, 2005, 08:59:35 am »
Quote from: Beth Kirkley
I'm trying to get my friends hooked. They love hearing about the bees, and ask lots of questions. But so far they get a little turned off by the cost. I'm just plain addicted I guess. I love it, and don't mind the cost. As far as hobbies go, it is a little high, but soooooo much fun to me.

Beth


I think the start up costs are much higher than is clear initially. First you think I'll have one hive, then everyone points out how much easier it is to have 2. Then you need 2 spare brood boxes for swarm control, + another for swarms. A range of supers, smoker, hive tool, stands, roofs, - all of a sudden   you are spending serious $$$ up front.

Its a shame clubs can't collect stuff from auctions (where it goes really really cheap often), and sadly, from members who have passed on, and provide a loan of equipment for a year, or maybe 2, whereby the member provides the frames and foundation, and the club provides the boxes/roofs etc. After the period of 1 or 2 years, the member returns the equipment, by purchasing new, or second hadn equipment, having had plenty time to make their own/search out an auction themselves etc. I've heard of one club that does this, each person on the "winter" academic evening class gets a broodbox full of bees!

Adam

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #17 on: March 03, 2005, 09:20:57 am »
:) I have friends and family who used to call and after asking how Kare and I were doing would ask about my dogs. Each and every one now starts with how are the bees? How are you and Kare doing? Fatherin law gave me a strange look then said I guess so when I asked if I could place two colonies on his 2 acres (I'll mow around them). The brother in law just suggest several areas for some on his 26 acres, even told me I needed to come get the sumac seed heads yet.

   Our club is going to have at least one 5 frame Nuc box to raffle off at the SchoolCraft College bee comferance April 2nd. All the club members are donateing equipment all the time to the beginners.
 :) I myself wouldn't have any bees if it were not for the members of the bee club.
 :( Also after all the major set backs I had in the last two years I wouldn't even have equipment but for the club keeping me in it.
I send out the notices one week before the meeting dates and tell the members on my e mail list to bring some one with an intrest and again the day before the meeting I again send out the notice of the meeting and tell the member to bring some one with them.

 :D Al

Offline firetool

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #18 on: March 03, 2005, 10:13:17 am »
My wife is very interasted in the bees and is trying to learn all she can! I think if we could affaird a bee suit she would go to the hives with me. I hope I can get here one here pretty soon. My son is the one really into them he is trying to sell his goats to get started in them.

 So over all I am very lucky and happy. :lol:

Brian

Anonymous

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #19 on: March 03, 2005, 10:41:03 am »
Go to a paint supply store and buy a cheap white painting set of coveralls. Many of use only wear a hat and veil.
 :D Al

Offline asleitch

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #20 on: March 03, 2005, 10:51:29 am »
Quote from: firetool
I think if we could affaird a bee suit she would go to the hives with me. I hope I can get here one here pretty soon.


Get some overalls, white or khaki coloured, and sew a zip on if it has buttons, and then find an old hat and then just get some veil material. My beeshop stock this for about $2, you could lash something together, or sew some elastic into the veil to attach it to an old hat.

Adam

Offline beandoggle66

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What my other half thinks of beekeeping
« Reply #21 on: March 03, 2005, 02:23:22 pm »
I told my wife before Christmas that I wanted to get into beekeeping. She immediately knew what she was going to get me for Christmas. Beekeeping books.

I have been reading as much as possible and was able to buy two used hives that I am still trying to clean. My bees and tools have been ordered and my wife keeps asking me when will we receive them.

She seems excited about the process and I think once I am into the hives inspecting bees, she may be less afraid of joining me once she sees how they work. I have received my magazines and take interest in reading them and learning much. I think she is excited to see how to extract honey and how much honey we will receive from the hives.

Either way, I am in this for the fun of it and something that I have always thought very fascinating.

Offline beefree

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What your other half thinks of your bees??
« Reply #22 on: March 11, 2005, 10:40:35 pm »
My husband helped me harvest last year,  kind of an intense first experience for him.  He took a couple gallons of the honey over to a friend and they made mead with it.  He liked that so much he is getting his own hive going this year, in addition to the hives i take care of that belong to others.  We will be moving out of this development in the next three years, and onto 5 acres or so, if things work out as planned...it'll mean more bees for both of us.
beefree
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