Road to Wisdom

[greenbtree]

I think I have taken the first step down the road to wisdom.  I have realized that I don't know squat.  I think I have manged to kill every bee under my control, in this, my first year.  On the bright side, I have lots of empty equipment to put bees in, some brand new.  Don't worry, not giving up, but won't be trying to answer ANY questions no matter how basic for quite some time.  "What does a bee look like?  I'm not sure....."

JC

[Bee Happy]

I should probably apologize for  LOLing at your last line. -I hope you have better luck on your retry.

[BlueBee]

Just remember it took Edison thousands of tries to perfect the light bulb, you're still ahead of Edison!

Good luck with your next batch, I think you'll do fine.  You've got a great attitude about it all.

[FRAMEshift]

I have realized that I don't know squat. 
JC

How refreshing.   :-D   At least you know that you don't know.  There are plenty of folks around who don't know much but think they are geniuses. Of course the best way to learn is by doing... so you are on the right track.

[jldoll]

Hi JC
At 60 years young
I can tell you.
A lesson earned.   Is a lesson learned.   And you are well on the way.
Just don't give up, we all have made our mistakes.
Not one person is a journeyman, that didn't start as an apprentice.
Good luck      Jerry

[Humanbeeing]

Monkey see, monkey do.
That's my model. I just look for the most successful monkey in the tree, and do what they do. So far, so good.  :roll:

[Kathyp]

besides, even when you do everything right, it all can go wrong.   :evil:

[Humanbeeing]

besides, even when you do everything right, it all can go wrong.   :evil:

As a rule.

[hankdog1]

I'd say your beating yourself up way too much.  You have learned the most important rule about bees they don't read the forum and they don't read books.  You'll do much better next go round besides i never learned anything from keeping them alive always learned more when they die.  Good luck with this year comming up i'm sure you'll be doing much better this year.   :-D

[greenbtree]

Thanks everyone.  It's true - you do learn more when things go bad.

JC

[rdy-b]

  you now what they say-at the school of hard nocks they give the test first and
  the leason second--as long as where learning something-- :lol:--RDY-B

[WPG]

  I think I have managed to kill every bee under my control in this, my first year. 
JC

That reminds me of a talk I heard at a Forest Stewardship Conference some years ago by a State Forester on how to plant and raise a new forest.
He said 'that after 26 years he new alot of ways to kill alot of trees, and a few ways to keep them alive.'

The last few winters have been really tough on bees here in Iowa.

Hang in there.

[Lone]

As they say, there's more than one way to skin a bee.

[greenbtree]

 :-DI just remembered an expression my Dad used.  "To teach a mule something, first you have to hit him with a two-by-four to get his attention."  Consider 2 x 4 applied!

JC

[troutstalker2]

  Losing bees is always most discouraging when your starting out. You will always lose some hives, at least I do. Once you have some successes the losses won't seem like such a big deal. Last spring I came out of the winter losing 2 out of 4 hives. Of the 2 that survived, one was very week. Then I lost the queen in the week hive and ended up with a laying worker. By the end of the summer I had 9 hives without buying any bees. Caught swarms and did splits. out of that 9 I lost only one this winter. I really have more than I want to deal with. Sometimes its just the luck of the draw.
  Good luck, David