Can Blind People Keep Bees?

JP · August 20, 2009, 01:27:19 PM

I received this e-mail today after speaking with this fellow on the phone today. What are your thoughts?

"I spoke with you Thursday morning about wild honey bees in a trailer. I wanted to ask a question. In the future I plan to have a school for blind, deaf, and disabled kids and adults here on this site. I am sure deaf people can be bee handlers, but what are your thoughts about blind kids and adults handling bee hives. Can blind people also rob hives too?"

Do you know someone deaf or blind that keeps bees? Your thoughts and ideas are appreciated!

...JP

charmd2 · August 20, 2009, 01:58:45 PM

I don't know why they couldn't. I would be willing to bet they got stung more often, but I could be wrong on that.

I'm not sure how well they could determine if they were queen right. But having been around very few blind people in my short life, I would hate to sell them short.

Everything else they could most likely determine based on weight. ie, needing an extra super, they could tell by touch if the honey were capped.

I'd be willing to give it a try if they had a back up plan for the hive/hives if it didn't work.

John Schwartz · August 20, 2009, 02:13:12 PM

I'm thinking a buddy system would be needed. There are too many visual things to identify on a regular basis:

* Visual clues from activity in front of hive/ground
* Visual disease & pest issues on each frame
* Visual clues on queen/swarm cycles
* Visual clues for robbing
Etc.

One possible fun way to buddy up if no beeks are locally available would be teaching the blind person to manipulate the hives and take photos of hive, ground in front and both sides of frames and sending them to someone to consult with them. Would take some thinking about how to best do that but possible in my estimation.

BeeHopper · August 20, 2009, 02:41:53 PM

Wow, I never gave it any thought. I suppose the hearing impaired can enjoy beekeeping as much as anyone, as for the visually impaired folks, they would certainly need a buddy and they certainly would enjoy the buzzing :-D

Bee-Bop · August 20, 2009, 03:02:06 PM

Just read this the other day;

******************************

American Bee Journal, Jan. 1950

WANTED -----!
Professor R.C. Richards, Western Pennsylvania School for the Blind,
201 Bellefield Avenue, Pittsburgh 13, wishes to hear from blind beekeepers,
or from those who know them. He is trying to find occupations for his blind
and partially sighted boys. Professor Richards has kept bees himself.

******************************

I wonder if he got any replies ?

Bee_Bop

alflyguy · August 20, 2009, 03:08:38 PM

I live in a town with many blind and deaf people. We have the AIDB, Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind, as well as Industries for the Blind and the Helen Keller School in Talladaga. I have learned that blind and deaf people can find a way to do most anything they really want to do.

David LaFerney · August 20, 2009, 03:26:58 PM

I remember as a kid riding up into the Smokies to get sourwood honey from a blind bee keeper. It was quite a long time ago, and I don't remember much about it except his house looked like the one Snuffy Smith lives in, his yard was full of bee hives and tall weeds, and he just looked like a regular old man but with his eyes closed. Funny what you remember from your childhood.

Joelel · August 20, 2009, 03:51:20 PM

Quote from: JP on August 20, 2009, 01:27:19 PM
I received this e-mail today after speaking with this fellow on the phone today. What are your thoughts?

"I spoke with you Thursday morning about wild honey bees in a trailer. I wanted to ask a question. In the future I plan to have a school for blind, deaf, and disabled kids and adults here on this site. I am sure deaf people can be bee handlers, but what are your thoughts about blind kids and adults handling bee hives. Can blind people also rob hives too?"

Do you know someone deaf or blind that keeps bees? Your thoughts and ideas are appreciated!

...JP

You try it for a few months with your eyes shut and you tell me ?

BruinnieBear · August 20, 2009, 04:24:00 PM

There's no question that the blind and visually impaired can adapt to sightlessness to perform many tasks that, for sighted people, may seem impossible. Over my years as a toolmaker, I've experienced many instances of blind and visually impaired machinists who were productive and fullfilled in their work. However, there were definitely special accomodations that needed to be made in the equipment and work setting. Buddy system an imperative to start, IMO!

This would be a great project for a club, and a fullfilling experience for any individual who wanted to take it on!

Sign me up for SE Wisconsin!

BB

Kathyp · August 20, 2009, 05:02:46 PM

we all need mentors. if there were someone to check the hives from time to time for disease, etc. why not?

Michael Bush · August 21, 2009, 04:49:50 AM

Certainly there are functions they could do fine at. Some, like finding a queen, would be difficult, but perhaps not impossible. You could shake the whole hive through an excluder...

mlewis48 · August 21, 2009, 04:57:52 AM

I saw a clip on You Tube or on t.v. There was a blind Aussie beekeeper and it was amazing to watch him work his bees. Someone drove him to his hives but once he got them open, he found the queen the use of his hearing. He used his since of touch to find brood. I have to go on the hunt for that, it was something to see.

Marc

JP · August 21, 2009, 10:20:26 AM

Yeah, I thought it an interesting topic. I emailed him with my thoughts, which pretty much paralleled everyone else's thoughts on here. Agreed the biggest challenge would be for blind people.

Here's his response: "It's a way off before I get this school started. I was thinking of teaming blind with deaf persons to work together. I'm sure they will be able to do so much. It won't be as easy as a person with all abilities, but with team work I bet they can do it just as well."

Thanks for your input!

...JP

Bee-Bop · August 21, 2009, 10:51:18 AM

They make a movie some years back, about the blind guy and a deaf guy that witnesed a murder,
" Hear No Evil - See No Evil " if I remember correctly.

Bee-Bop

Grandma_DOG · August 21, 2009, 10:54:05 AM

Yes, blind can keep bees, but some assistance would be best.

See the video on Bryce the blind Aussie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISlNaNn8DkQ

Mason · August 21, 2009, 06:59:15 PM

Ok,

I'm not going to complain about anything.

very cool

JP · August 21, 2009, 08:52:00 PM

Quote from: Michael Bush on August 21, 2009, 04:49:50 AM
Certainly there are functions they could do fine at. Some, like finding a queen, would be difficult, but perhaps not impossible. You could shake the whole hive through an excluder...

Blind people use tactile senses much more than sighted individuals as it is, so I would assume they should be able to learn to recognize worker, drone brood, queen cells,(supersedure, swarm cells) queen cups, capped, and uncapped honey, etc...

This subject almost makes me want to try it with my eyes closed...

Almost.

Its amazing what we can do when we decide to. Who would have ever thought, a millionaire blind beekeeper.

...JP

Jim134 · August 22, 2009, 08:06:01 AM

We all need mentors and I mentor A 10 old year boy in about 1980 (hearing impaired) He got lots of help form his mom.

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

sc-bee · August 22, 2009, 10:42:22 AM

Thanks for sharing the video!!!

deknow · August 22, 2009, 11:58:04 AM

do people here know about huber? some of the most astute (and practically important) observations ever made on honeybees...by a blind man (with assistance).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Huber

deknow