As my second season comes near the end, I realize how little I know and how frustrating this hobby can be. I was assigned a "mentor" :roll: last spring to help me get started. (edit ). it hasn't panned out with him
I rely on what I read on line and on this forum (thank you all!!),
(I just deleted my two pargraphs of venting)
Anyone else feel like giving up? I really like this hobby and at one point looked forward to expanding a lot next spring. I planned on ordering 6 nuc's or packages for next season, but I'm having trouble dealing with two colonies by myself due a lack of experienced help and oversight.
I'm feeling pretty overwhelmed and frustrated right now. Can't you tell? :-x
Don't give up. You are just learning the hard way! Don't ask for a mentor, recruit one! If you like what you are hearing from a fellow beek, tell him your frustrations and ask for his help. Read and study past posts of this forum. I have educated myself by reading past threads and doing searches for current issues that I may be having. Ask questions...there are lots of experienced people on this forum that will be glad to be a cybermentor.
Good luck,
Steve
don't give up. the learning curve can be pretty sharp, but it's worth it. maybe order 3 nucs next year and continue with your education. it's like anything else....jsut when you think you have it figured out, you don't. :-D
as you learn, you will be able to better filter advice. for every question you ask, you'll get many different answers. you'll learn to trust yourself to pick the best one for your situation. sometimes you just have to experiment a bit and see what works.
My first mentor had six kids and worked alot of overtime. I called him to tell him that I had picked up my bees, so that we could install them the next day. He was in Turkey. I had to figure it out for myself. This was before Beemaster had his site up, and I only had two basic books.
I learned a whole lot that first year. My mentor also was pretty set in his ways. So, it was kind of good that he wasn't there much. I was free to experiment.
Keep trying. Remember bees have been around for millions of years and we've been keeping them for a few hundred.
I have learned all that I know pretty much from this forum. I joined the local club but have never been able to attend meetings. I was going to take the begginers class that they offer but couldn't cause of schedule. So I just read books made mistakes and used this forum. Stick with it it will pay off.
Alfred
My only mentor was the bees. :) And lots of books (ABC XYZ of Bee Culture and the Hive and the Honey Bee in particular).
paul,
i feel your frustration and pain - i've had so many of the same feelings, myself. i began keeping bees ~1.5 years ago and things seemed to be going fine until i had a serious medical condition late last summer and was unable to do weekly inspections. eventually they swarmed and when i was able (this feb), i harvested what honey was left behind and waited to order my new package(s)... i decided to double down and install a second hive when the new season began.
somewhere along the road, i discovered beemaster.com and have come to rely on the postings as a wonderful online source of information and perspective on the myriad issues beekeepers must deal with. because i ride my bicycle everyday, i began looking for "local honey" signs and each time i saw one, i stopped and talked to the keeper. a few times i stumbled across beeks and glommed on to them... in the process, created a mentor / student relationship with one of them. (i am very thankful he puts up with me and my bonehead questions and... uh-mazingly, he gave me a swarm ~2 months ago so now i have 3 hives.) i intended to attend my (first) local guild meeting 2 weeks ago, but an hour before i was to leave for the meeting, a very large tree limb crushed our prius roof as the car sat in the driveway... sigh.
so... don't give up - if i can do it, you can do it! :)
best of luck and any time you need an emotional boost, shoot me an email and we can commiserate together!
hal
twobigcats.com
Quote from: Michael Bush on August 23, 2009, 04:25:49 PM
My only mentor was the bees. :) And lots of books (ABC XYZ of Bee Culture and the Hive and the Honey Bee in particular).
Careful what you say Mike;
I got chewed out on this Board not very long ago for suggesting " Go to your local library, get some bee books, and also join and participate in your local bee club if you have one "
Bee-Bop
Don't give up! Get yourself some books to read (over and over). My favorite is Beekeeping for Dummies, but there are a lot out there. Go to your (and neighboring) county libraries.
Alan
Not sure about frustration, I think keeping bee's is pretty cool and the only things that I have learned from are the bee's and this forum. Everyone here helps a lot and just searching through the past forums I have really learned a lot. Learned that bee's do as bee's do! Lots of good advice here though and you get to choose from several opinions or options! I think I am not so frustrated cause I don't have a clue. However the bee's seem to be doing very well.
Quote from: jclark96 on August 23, 2009, 03:35:19 PM
Keep trying. Remember bees have been around for millions of years and we've been keeping them for a few hundred.
In 1957 I had 2 books (ABC XYZ of Bee Culture and The Hive and the Honey Bee) and 2 good mentors and the bees.
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
Where in New York are you?
Quote from: HoneyMaple on August 23, 2009, 06:46:02 PM
Where in New York are you?
about 240 miles west of you. :)
Thanks for the comments and support. It's been an exceptionally tough week for me. Sorry to vent here. You guys seems like a nice bunch.
I'm certainly not against mentors. I just didn't have any.
i hear ya bro
i'm in my third year and still struggling along but it's getting better.
any and everything i've ever done that was worth doing wasn't quick or easy, and i don't have any reason to believe beekeeping is going to be any different. good luck. :-D :-D :-D :-D
I understand your frustration believe me. I am on my 4th year with the bees and believe me when I say that this is the first season that I am feeling fairly confident. I made so many mistakes the first and second season and I cried a lot and felt like a failure so many times. Just read back on some of my earlier posts. I also learned everything myself and had no help other than this forum. Yes I did have a mentor initially, but when the going got tough, I found myself all alone.
I got all the help I needed from this forum and making my own mistakes.
I started out with one hive the first year and by the second year I had two. I think it would be wise to keep the numbers down until you start to feel like you know what to do. Now I am up to 4 hives and I can probably handle more.
Don't give up. Try not to be too attached to them. Just do the best you can and don't worry so much
Sincerely
Annette
Hang in there....I'm not frustrated...just fascinated..
I started my single hive from a package in June of 2008. Made some mistakes...learned a bunch. Was not able to take any honey last year, and I overwintered in 3 mediums. They made it through the winter, and I thought for sure I would be able to take some honey this year...Well, I've decided not to bother taking any honey...my hive has appeared healthy all year, but it did seem a bit late in building strong numbers. I added a 4th medium, and the girls just didn't work as fast as I expected..
No honey for me..looks like the hive will go into this winner as 4 mediums...or depending on what they do in the next couple of months, I may crowd them back down to 3 mediums.
If I make it through the winter, hopefully they will be strong enough to split fairly early in the spring....then I will at least have the safety of 2 hives..and just maybe one of them will make a little extra honey for their "Big Daddy".
Take care and good Luck.
Quote from: Bee-Bop on August 23, 2009, 05:10:28 PM
Quote from: Michael Bush on August 23, 2009, 04:25:49 PM
My only mentor was the bees. :) And lots of books (ABC XYZ of Bee Culture and the Hive and the Honey Bee in particular).
Careful what you say Mike;
I got chewed out on this Board not very long ago for suggesting " Go to your local library, get some bee books, and also join and participate in your local bee club if you have one "
Bee-Bop
I believe "chewed out" may be a bit strong, but if that is how you felt, I apologize. I was simply trying to point out that a person posting questions on an internet forum is choosing to do so probably because they can't find the question in their books, don't have a mentor or access to a club. People asking questions on a forum are looking for help on that forum. People responding on a forum should be trying to help through that medium.
To the OP, I hope things go better for you! Sounds like a frustrating start for you. I hope it gets better.
Quote from: luvin honey on August 25, 2009, 02:05:05 AM
To the OP, I hope things go better for you! Sounds like a frustrating start for you. I hope it gets better.
Yes, it has been a frustrating start for me. I lost my one colony last fall due to ( I guess) mites all my "mentor" said was "huh", and nothing more. I guess I expected more support from the local club and it's mentoring program. I'll admit part of my problem is that I'm a perfectionist and won't settle for anything but the best. I need to learn when to lower my standards!
Can you really just give up? I can't. That would mean defeat in my world.I started beekeeping because they set up shop in my house and I had to remove them. I knew they were in trouble so I decided to get the gear and save them. I had a huge hive and once removed they were completely devoured by all things pest and inexperience related. I even had help on the first removal but, I feel we begged for the troubles we had in retrospect.
That was a real crappy experience watching all of those bees disappear. Now I started from scratch with a small hive rescue. I did a ton of reading (as I did before I started the last project) and this particular move is working out to date.
I still know nothing but, folks on this site have been pivotal in helping the cause. Now I do think I am ready to grab another hive from someones house that doesn't want them there. That is the route I am choosing to acquire bees. I'm in Florida and seems tome there is no need for purchase when they can bee saved.
I say dont throw in the towell.
Billy
QuoteI need to learn when to lower my standards!
you don't need to lower your standards, you need to define perfection.
in nature, perfection has more to do with survival. those creatures who are strong, survive. those who are not, die. in this way, living things "perfect" their genetics. your idea of perfection is the survival of your hives.
Quote from: kathyp on August 25, 2009, 01:08:54 PM
you don't need to lower your standards, you need to define perfection.
your idea of perfection is the survival of your hives.
Do you honestly think that you know me well enough to tell me where I should set my standards or what I think my own ideas are?
Quote from: paulh on August 25, 2009, 11:42:53 PM
Quote from: kathyp on August 25, 2009, 01:08:54 PM
you don't need to lower your standards, you need to define perfection.
your idea of perfection is the survival of your hives.
Do you honestly think that you know me well enough to tell me where I should set my standards or what I think my own ideas are?
:roll: IMHO you need to know the BEES standards to define perfection.
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
paulh your Standards have nothing to do with bee's they do what they do so deal with it! Are don't have bee's :?
It seems to me the bees are the ones with the standards. If they don't have housing that meets their standards they abscond, if they feel crowded they swarm....
They are completely in control of what they want to do and how they want to live.
You are going to make mistakes and just have to go with the flow and learn from them instead of getting frustrated.
I have not had a mentor either. I learn as I go and seek out the information I need.
Everyone loses colonies or at the very least have weak hives.
I am a first year beekeeper but I have learned one thing from my own hives and reading other people's experiences on this forum.
Its good to spend more time just observing and less time micro managing their every move.
I have read many times different scenarios that went bad with someone's hives and the outcome quite often has been that they caused unnecessary interferance.
Its not always necessary to be doing something with or for the bees, they know what they need and want and you just need to learn to follow their cues.
Try to relax and enjoy watching them coming and going and just let them do their thing.
What is it you want from them? What is so frustrating about these hives anyway?
QuoteDo you honestly think that you know me well enough to tell me where I should set my standards or what I think my own ideas are?
don't need to. what you think and want will influence the bees not one bit!
Quote from: kathyp on August 27, 2009, 01:20:28 AM
QuoteDo you honestly think that you know me well enough to tell me where I should set my standards or what I think my own ideas are?
don't need to. what you think and want will influence the bees not one bit!
BANG
Give up? Never! Our first year was horrible. I came home one day to find my husband standing by the hive which was all spread out on the ground - we had lost our first hive! It was terrible, sad and we were discouraged. But the next year we started out with 2 nucs, now in our 4th year we have 6.
The bees are the best teachers there are. This forum is always there for you. Look how many responses you received. And when you have a question, you get a quick answer.
I didn't recognize the drones the first year - was in a panic, posted a message and within a hour had 4 responses.
Looking forward to hearing from you again with a success story.
:mrgreen: