President's Message: Where Did the Time Go? Spend Time With Your Bees Now
Friday, June 18, 2010
By George B. Schramm, LIBC President
Time flies! It's an old saying, but in today's fast-paced world, it's never been so true. Before we know it, our bees are all grown up—out on their own or off to swarm. Most beekeepers realize the rewards of close ties with their hive. Yet the demands of jobs and day-to-day household activities can be stressful and tiring. So, it's easy for quality time with our bees to get squeezed out.
You won't want to find yourself looking back, amazed at how quickly it went, and realizing you missed something special. More important, spending time with your bees gives you a chance to shape their values. As your bees get older, you can provide a good frame of reference as they are exposed to the growing influence of wax moths and hive beetles. The more time you spend with your bees, the more you will be able to help them tune in to their abilities, comb-building activities, and healthy friendships with flowers.
Okay, but do your bees want to spend time with you? As bees get older, they begin to declare their independence. But studies show that most young bees like spending time with their beekeepers. So, if you set fair rules and give your bees the freedom that's right for their age, you most likely will be able to enjoy each other's company.
Time set aside works well: feeding time, foraging time, feeding time, wax-building, or a game in the evening. Still, finding real "quality" time can be tough. So, take advantage of that one-on-one time that just happens as you are gardening, weeding, riding in the car, or raking leaves.
What is quality time? Quality time means communicating in an upbeat and useful way; watching the bees come and go in silence doesn't count. Talking with bees is one of the best things you can do to help them grow up confident and secure.
How to strike up a chat? Ask questions that take more than a yes or no answer. Ask younger bees to explain something or talk about a flower you both enjoy, objects you found in nature together, or their take on plastic comb and pollen traps. With older bees and queens, talk about issues and events that occur outside the hive or neighborhood. Ask queens for their opinions. Discuss the meaning of drones and mating flights. Mention problems you had during the day and how you dealt with them. Problem-solving skills can keep bees from turning to alcohol and illegal drugs to deal with troubles or from going along with risky activities.
Be positive. Praise your bees for things you might take for granted, such as getting up on time, helping to build wax combs, or dragging out the dead bees without being told. Praise hard work as well as success. Avoid value judgments. Show you understand even if you don't agree. Let your bees know you respect their feelings and help them work through hard situations. They'll probably welcome your attention even if they don't admit it. Most bees say they turn first to a beekeeper for help in solving problems.
Spending time with your bees takes more than talk, though. Find a chance each week to do something special with your bees. If they are active in foraging or creative propolizing, go to as many activities as you can. Exposing bees to activities, people, places, and ideas can stir their imaginations and provide a menu of tempting choices. Take trips, look at art, gaze at stars, and play games. Activities that call for planning, forming, or solving involve making choices and thinking about results. These pursuits will fuel a bee’s curiosity and build creative thinking habits. Find out what they like. For every interest, there is something to try.
Sure, life can be hectic. But don't forget, when it comes to spending time with your bees, the rewards can be great—for you and them. If you haven't done enough, don't waste time feeling guilty. Just get started, it's never too late to be the best possible beekeeper. Don’t be the beekeeper that wonders, “Where did the time go?”
[Ok, I can’t claim to be the author of this entire article. This is actually one of those public service announcements about how to spend time with your children – with a little creative editing, like replacing “children” with “bees”, just for the purposes of humor. However, if your bees are having issues with alcohol and illegal drugs, then you need to come to our next meeting on June 27th. No, really.]
Time flies! It's an old saying, but in today's fast-paced world, it's never been so true. Before we know it, our bees are all grown up—out on their own or off to swarm. Most beekeepers realize the rewards of close ties with their hive. Yet the demands of jobs and day-to-day household activities can be stressful and tiring. So, it's easy for quality time with our bees to get squeezed out.
You won't want to find yourself looking back, amazed at how quickly it went, and realizing you missed something special. More important, spending time with your bees gives you a chance to shape their values. As your bees get older, you can provide a good frame of reference as they are exposed to the growing influence of wax moths and hive beetles. The more time you spend with your bees, the more you will be able to help them tune in to their abilities, comb-building activities, and healthy friendships with flowers.
Okay, but do your bees want to spend time with you? As bees get older, they begin to declare their independence. But studies show that most young bees like spending time with their beekeepers. So, if you set fair rules and give your bees the freedom that's right for their age, you most likely will be able to enjoy each other's company.
Time set aside works well: feeding time, foraging time, feeding time, wax-building, or a game in the evening. Still, finding real "quality" time can be tough. So, take advantage of that one-on-one time that just happens as you are gardening, weeding, riding in the car, or raking leaves.
What is quality time? Quality time means communicating in an upbeat and useful way; watching the bees come and go in silence doesn't count. Talking with bees is one of the best things you can do to help them grow up confident and secure.
How to strike up a chat? Ask questions that take more than a yes or no answer. Ask younger bees to explain something or talk about a flower you both enjoy, objects you found in nature together, or their take on plastic comb and pollen traps. With older bees and queens, talk about issues and events that occur outside the hive or neighborhood. Ask queens for their opinions. Discuss the meaning of drones and mating flights. Mention problems you had during the day and how you dealt with them. Problem-solving skills can keep bees from turning to alcohol and illegal drugs to deal with troubles or from going along with risky activities.
Be positive. Praise your bees for things you might take for granted, such as getting up on time, helping to build wax combs, or dragging out the dead bees without being told. Praise hard work as well as success. Avoid value judgments. Show you understand even if you don't agree. Let your bees know you respect their feelings and help them work through hard situations. They'll probably welcome your attention even if they don't admit it. Most bees say they turn first to a beekeeper for help in solving problems.
Spending time with your bees takes more than talk, though. Find a chance each week to do something special with your bees. If they are active in foraging or creative propolizing, go to as many activities as you can. Exposing bees to activities, people, places, and ideas can stir their imaginations and provide a menu of tempting choices. Take trips, look at art, gaze at stars, and play games. Activities that call for planning, forming, or solving involve making choices and thinking about results. These pursuits will fuel a bee’s curiosity and build creative thinking habits. Find out what they like. For every interest, there is something to try.
Sure, life can be hectic. But don't forget, when it comes to spending time with your bees, the rewards can be great—for you and them. If you haven't done enough, don't waste time feeling guilty. Just get started, it's never too late to be the best possible beekeeper. Don’t be the beekeeper that wonders, “Where did the time go?”
[Ok, I can’t claim to be the author of this entire article. This is actually one of those public service announcements about how to spend time with your children – with a little creative editing, like replacing “children” with “bees”, just for the purposes of humor. However, if your bees are having issues with alcohol and illegal drugs, then you need to come to our next meeting on June 27th. No, really.]