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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by partlycloudy on June 21, 2005, at 6:30:15
(grrrr - at not being able to post on the 2000 board)
I was a beekeeper in my former life - I even went to bee school at the local agricultutal college - and I can assure you that bees are interested in one thing, and one thing only - nectar. I took the course partly because I've got a bug "thing" too, and I came to love working with honeybees. Their single-mindedness, their industriousness, their abilty to keep on the task at hand even while a human is bumbling (excuse the pun) around inside their house is amazing. I got stung once when a poor bee got caught in my helmet's net on the wrong side and it panicked trying to escape. It was a particular joy to be able to give "my" honey as gifts for a long while, until poor hive management (me) and natural disaster (mites) killed the poor blighters.Now, horse flies are a different story. I don't like those at all. And in New England, around the salt marshes, we had greenhead flies, a particularly nasty variety that live up and down the East Coast, who liked to seek out shade on hot sunny days when you're at the beach, mostly on the under side of your arms and legs, where they'd take a big chunk of flesh as a thank you before flying off.
I'm afraid I can't bring myself to find any redeeming qualities about palmetto bugs, so I will skip them.
And that's all I have to say about bugs.
pc
Posted by NikkiT2 on June 21, 2005, at 6:41:17
In reply to Note to Racer on 2000 board, posted by partlycloudy on June 21, 2005, at 6:30:15
You know, its a dream of mine to one day own a bee hive! And locally produced honey is wonderful for reducing hay fever symptoms.. take a tea spoon of local honey every day from January and your symptoms will be hugely reduced! Honest!
Have you read "The Secret Life of Bee's".. I read that recently (hmmm, must post on books about it!) and its such a lovely book!
Ok, so now I want a honey sandwich for lunch *L*
Good to have you back!
Nikki xxx
Posted by partlycloudy on June 21, 2005, at 7:07:38
In reply to Re: Note to Racer on 2000 board » partlycloudy, posted by NikkiT2 on June 21, 2005, at 6:41:17
Thanks! It's good to be back.
During my ill-fated Book Club faze, that was my first choice of books for the club, and it ended up to be the year's fave.We had all sorts of interesting people in our bee class - from those wanting to learn about bee venom therapy for diseases, to those wanting to start commercial businesses. I only ever did it as a hobby, and found a lovely location in someone's enormous back garden to keep the hives. Her garden flourished while the hives were there. It was so cool! I found that listening to the bees work and feeling the breeze they'd create with their wings was just mesmerising. They really didn't mind us working the frames in the hives, lifting them out, checking for growth, honey, and healthiness. One summer one of the two hives decided to swarm (the natural way that a hive grows and divides, nothing to fear as long as they don't pick your house to live in), and even then, they were as calm as can be, patiently waiting for the signal as to where to go to next.
Now, here in the States it's a lucrative and significant "hobby" as the wild honeybee population has been decimated by mites and diseases. I think in North Carolina they were paying folks to take on hives in order to help pollinate the crops.
And yes, you can keep bees in an urban setting, as long as they have a fresh water supply close by, like a water bucket next to the hive. They find their own food. It's so totally kewl.
partlycloudy
Posted by gardenergirl on June 21, 2005, at 7:39:39
In reply to honeybees » NikkiT2, posted by partlycloudy on June 21, 2005, at 7:07:38
Ugh ugh ugh. I remember deer flies and horse flies up in the Michigan woods. You definitely knew when they bit you. It hurt!
&$^%^#% flies that bite! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Mostly just mosquitos here, now that the cicadas are gone for the next 17 years.
gg
Posted by NikkiT2 on June 21, 2005, at 8:22:39
In reply to honeybees » NikkiT2, posted by partlycloudy on June 21, 2005, at 7:07:38
My mate has two hives at the end of his garden.. I can't wait to visit again and put my ear on the top of the hive to listen to them!!
Reckon I could put a hive on my window ledge??! *LOL*
Having stupid hot weather here in London at the moment.. and my blood pressure has chosen this time to plummet.. so taken a sick day today as every time I move I go dizzy and want to throw up.. Meant to be at some Race Equality training today, but it was quite a treck, and feeling like this I just couldn't face it.. Have got osme work I can be doing at home though so I'm not totally unproductive..
Nikki xx
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