Thanks Beemasters, that was close

[ThomBee]

I would like to express many thanks to the people who post on this forum.  :D Your knowledge and professionalism saved me. Recently one of My Brother-in-laws expressed a great deal of dissatifaction about my hives recently arriving. He was concern about the safety of his children and basically being unable to enjoy Being outdoors in the back yard he grew up in. You see we recently aquired the land next to my father-in -laws and I My NUCS arrived thursdays. My wife sent Him the link to this Forum with the instructions to spend a little time and research about Bees. He then e-mailed me back wishing us luck and withdrawing his complaint. I truly believe that education is the key. I am on the committe for a local boy scout troop and they have asked me to give a lecture on Bees. And then test them for their merit badges. I would also like to thank My-bro-in-law for being open-minded and listening to the forums information. Again every one thanks, I almost had to find a new home for my hives.

[beemaster]

Thombee:

Man.... this is a wonderful post and EXPLAINS how I feel about the MEMBERS here very well. The forum is a resource of unlimited imagination and comprises hundred (if not thousands) of years of beekeeping experience among the members - that is truly where the power is.

About my site (beekeeping course section) I hope that is serves equally as a platform of general information and the whimsy of this hobby. People do fear what they do not understand and beekeeping is not a cult - we do have an obligation to explain the misunderstood life of the honeybee.

We are plagued by cartoons of swarm forming arrows and chasing Elmer Fudd in our childhood minds and it is reinforced with advertising grabbers called KILLER BEES - the Countries next illegal aliens attack! The money in TV is NOT in showing the positive of ANYTHING yet we continually see negative press popping up - and we all know that one BAD wipes out 10 GOODS, it is just the way life is.

Your brother-in-law is a wise man to have done the homework and seen the truth. I keep my hives less than 10 feet from my main sidewalk - the flight path of the bees cross the walk and the hives are up against my neighbors property near where they park their cars and there are never any problems BECAUSE I took the time to introduce my neighbors to my 100,000 little friends. I even have photos of them holding the frames bare-handed and smiling. Knowledge is surely the key.

GREAT JOB and as you said, thanks to everyone - a job well done!!!

[Brian D. Bray]

Glad to hear of the successful education of the ignorant.
I use to Council for Beekeeping and Pigeon Racing for the BSA, I should probabvly enlist to do it again.  You'll have a lot of fun passing on what you know and yu'll learn loads doing it.

[ThomBee]

Thanks for the Response. Before I decided to get Bees I took "The Course" On Beemaster's Web page. It was Excellent. I showed My wife some of the Pictures  to help ease her mind about having bees in our back yard. I then read every book I could find and Bought a DVD. When I got the bees I found Myself amazingly relaxed around them.  I think that by educating myself before I got them I was more relax around them. I work with my bees with no gloves because I find them awkard. I always wear a veil now after being stung above the eye. Stupid on my part because the books and videos warn of that. I got stung while making a Video of my bees. They seem to be doing fine and I can see them bringing in pollen. I am sure I will have many more questions and may be able to answer some myself.

[TwT]

ThomBee, one little tip that works for me, if you ever start or are getting stings to your hands, before you work your hives, get some baby powder and coat your hands with it, it works for the bare handed beekeepers that hate gloves ;)

[ThomBee]

Thanks TwT I will do that