Author Topic: Apprehensive wife (Read 6137 times)

BoneKrusher · « **on:** August 17, 2008, 06:33:49 pm »

Hi,

I am looking at starting my first hive next Spring. Most of this summer has been reading and doing my homework. My wife is very apprehensive about having a beehive in our yard. I know its safe. Any suggestions on how to sell this to her?

:?

Thanks,

Bones

sean · « **Reply #1 on:** August 17, 2008, 06:38:00 pm »

if there are folks nearby who have hives at their home you could try taking her with you to visit them. of course she may never lose that feeling until you actually get them and have had them for a while. (Heaven help you if she gets whacked by one) :evil:

BoneKrusher · « **Reply #2 on:** August 17, 2008, 06:52:50 pm »

Thanks... The trick is to get them in the yard with her approval. :roll:

rast · « **Reply #3 on:** August 17, 2008, 07:08:39 pm »

How big is your yard?

BoneKrusher · « **Reply #4 on:** August 17, 2008, 07:27:52 pm »

Hi,

I have 3/4 of an acre total. By back yard is about a 1/2 acre. The neighbor behind me has a pool and one neighbor has a fish pond.

rast · « **Reply #5 on:** August 17, 2008, 07:43:49 pm »

You ought to be able to put them far enough away for her to get use to them being around. Just hope they go to the fish pond and not the pool for water. Unfortunantly bees and wasps are drawn to my pool. The bees just crawl up on you and fly off usually, the wasps seem to want to sting me before they leave.
Every individual is different, my wife dosen't mind the bees, just dosen't want to be stung. She has an intrest in them, just dosen't want to work anything but the extraction. It's going to be a matter of her getting over the third or fourth sting and making sure she isn't allergic to them (you also).
My wife just said to tell her to get over it and stay out of thier flight path. :-D

asprince · « **Reply #6 on:** August 17, 2008, 07:51:22 pm »

My wife thought that I was crazy for wanting "killer bees". After a couple of weeks, she came around and is now on board. She loves to give her friends "our honey from our bees".

I would inform my neighbors up front and try to get their blessing.

Steve

BoneKrusher · « **Reply #7 on:** August 17, 2008, 08:23:47 pm »

Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it. I will let you know how it goes.

Thanks a bunch.

tandemrx · « **Reply #8 on:** August 17, 2008, 09:26:13 pm »

Show her from a catalog what a bee suit looks like. I have a pull-over jacket style and with gloves on the thing is impenetrable to bees - I could walk into a cloud of bees and I wouldn't be concerned.

Tell her you will get her a fancy one!

But I agree, there must be a bee keeper near you, simply outfit your wife with a suit and take her to their bee yard when they are doing an inspection - the beekeeper can show her how docile they can be (really helps if beekeeper goes into the hive with no gloves - I think that is the show stopper).

johnnybigfish · « **Reply #9 on:** August 17, 2008, 10:36:26 pm »

get her a bee suit!
Women like new clothes!.She'll be excited to try it on, and once she does that, she's taken the bait!

your friend,
john

Jessaboo · « **Reply #10 on:** August 17, 2008, 10:42:20 pm »

See if you can get her to read a book like Robbing the Bees by Holley Bishop. It is a very readable book and really demystifies bees. The key is always knowledge - its easy to be afraid of something we know nothing about.

That said, I am sure she will not listen to you (spouses never do) so try to get her to watch some honey bee videos (Nature had a great program a while back - I am sure you can watch it online or get it from a DVD store), even the kid's ones are pretty good. There are lots of great books (readable - and not geared just towards the beekeeper - like the one mentioned above).

Maybe get her to start a "spouses of beekeepers" support group on this site - my husband would join!

Good luck.

- Jess

greenismycolor · « **Reply #11 on:** August 17, 2008, 11:16:54 pm »

Hi Bones and Mrs. Bones :-D

Welcome to the most habit forming hobby that I have been involved in. It is really great. Once you set up your hive, it is like the love bee has stung you! :-D You really want to see their work, and you will be amazed at what they DO!! and the miracle products they produce, wax, honey, beebread, ect, from little tiny drops of nectar and pollen. They are simply (not simple) one of the most amazing of God's creatures. You know, I read once that have all the same emotions we do, except fear.

Mrs. Bones, give youself a little time and you will come to know that the bees are really not as aggressive (most of the time) as most people think. Always protect yourself, and I hope you will grow to love these little girls.

best wishes and success
green

Michael Bush · « **Reply #12 on:** August 17, 2008, 11:38:06 pm »

I not only have about 100 hives and nucs in the backyard, I extract in the kitchen, meaning you end up with bees flying around the kitchen. I don't think my wife has ever been stung. I raised five kids with bees in the yard and only one of them ever got stung by a honey bee, which he stepped on barefoot.

qa33010 · « **Reply #13 on:** August 18, 2008, 02:07:11 am »

This is about six to eight feet from our back door and we walk by them every day. Granted they are bees and let me know when I've screwed up too badly. I wish they would just 'show me the collar' instead. ;)

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm237/4kids4christmas/P1000249.jpg

That's Cat (kids call him Tiger) on top. All my cats are named Cat in various languages or something.

Oh yeah! My wife usually mows the backyard (15 minutes for her and an hour and a half for me) and the only time she's been stung is while they were fighting off robbers and she was wearing sandals and the ones dying on the ground got her three times on the feet.

BoneKrusher · « **Reply #14 on:** August 18, 2008, 07:09:19 am »

Thanks everyone. I love the picture of the cat on the hive. Priceless. Probably the "gato" likes the hum and buzz. Great stuff. I will report back. I will try to order the equipment (and a DVD) next month.

Thanks

KONASDAD · « **Reply #15 on:** August 18, 2008, 10:03:18 am »

My wife was terrified when I told her I was getting bees and her anxiety only went up after I got them. Three yrs later, she now walks by hives, will go through robbing bees after I spill honey on garage floor and has learned unless you walk barefott through the clover, you wont get stung.

Irwin · « **Reply #16 on:** August 18, 2008, 05:43:25 pm »

Great pic qa33010 when I get a camera I will take a pic of my dog laying in front of my hive.

johnnybigfish · « **Reply #17 on:** August 18, 2008, 11:34:08 pm »

Yeh, I like the cat picture too!!
Speaking of cats, Its raining cats and dogs outside!(Well, theres a lot of water in it too!)...Finally!!!

your friend,
john

bizzybeehoney · « **Reply #18 on:** August 19, 2008, 12:01:39 pm »

Once you get about 20 feet from the hive you don't hardly notice any bees.

Card · « **Reply #19 on:** August 19, 2008, 01:50:05 pm »

My wife was really apprehensive about me getting into beekeeping, but I have to give her credit - she's been a real trooper about the whole thing.

Having her help me out (from a distance, naturally) when I installed my packaged bees in the new hive helped a bunch because she could see exactly how docile they were, and how interesting. Now (much to my surprise) I think she's gotten more attached to the girls than I am. Last week I caught her in the backyard with a little twig trying to rescue a bee that had fallen into a bucket of water, and when I open the hives (she still 'helps' from a distance) she gets mad at me if she hears any of the bees get crunched when I put the cover back on. 8-)