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WRITER wants to know WHAT WE DO in the Beeyard

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beemaster:
Follows is an email I received from someone writing a story outline where Beekeeping and beekeepers are taking place in the background - he wants to know what interesting things BESIDES JUST STANDING THERE that we do - please give him some ideas. Thanks

John Beemaster

WILL WRITES:

Hiya. I'm in the process of getting a script written for our production company that touches in the the world of beekeeping.
But I find myself without a lot of knowledge on the subject. I was looking at your site to do some research and was very impressed. You're a one stop bee expert. It's great.
So i thought I'd ask if you had a few things you might care to share on the beeking world that the average person might find facinating. And beyond that, even funny.

I realize this might be an odd question and VERY vague. But as I've just begun outlining the story I was trying to work up some interesting situtations to have my beekeeper doing beyond always just standing at a hive.

If you can toss me a few activities or incidents I'd be most grateful. If it's a massive inconvienience then dont' worry about it. I can get by. Just thought I'd check into it.

Thanks a lot. And once again. Wonderful sight.

Will

beemaster:
Will:

I'll start with a few things Beekeepers do. Most of the standing you mention is probably inspection or harvesting honey, usually suited up - but NOT NECESSARILLY SO and using a smoker in their hand, while hadling the individual frames inside the hive boxes.

Other things you could see is loading hives onto trucks, Installing the bees from shipped package which are delivered from the US Postal sevice (at least here), extracting honey in small to massive centrifical spinners, bottling honey, raising queens in special queen rearing boxes (sometimes HUNDREDS of queens in a box) or raising workers to be shipped to beekeepers world wide.

You could have people removing swarms from both high and low objects for example of low objects - you could see young people (kids) in the beeyard learning how to tend to them, older people receiving bee-sting therapy for arthritis or MS. I could go on, but I want some other people to reply too.

John
Beemaster

PS WILL... Remember, you can ask questions in this forum, to better assist you in REALISTICALLY creating the actions of a beekeeper - nothing worse for us to see movies that are foolish and far fetched, funny is one thing, getting bees in your suit happens a lot and getting at the bee in your suit is quite funny to watch, but it is a real thing that happens. Don't assume, learn. Credibility is a big issue in bee movies, some are foolish - the ones who try to have realist and factual events and dialog are impressive and believable.

Anonymous:
This is facinating to me.
One thing if i can get some information on this "shipping" of bees. And queens being raised ...
Very interesting. You just order a box of bees?

I had no idea bees can get into those suites. I can imagine that being quite the site.

How do you move a swarm?
DOes the honey need to be refined or anything? I'm not really clear on how that process works.

Keep the info coming, and if anyone has a story of anything that's happened please feel free to share with me.

Will - The Draft Six Productions

Beth Kirkley:
One thing I love doing with bees, is just watching them go about their work. The hive is looks like an airport, with bees coming in with their loads, and bees quickly leaving to collect more pollen or nectar.

What you should do is go to your local agriculture department, or cooperative extention office, and get intouch with some local beekeepers. Most beekeepers are very friendly, and would LOVE to give you a look at the hives and bees. You need to get inside the hive to really see how fasinating they are. They're hard workers, and have a very organized society (the bees that is).

About refining honey: fresh honey (from the average small beekeeper) I know isn't refined - just taken right from the hive by putting the frames in a spinner. I don't know about commercial honey, if they refine any of that or not.

Thankfully I've never (so far) had a bee in my suit. :) John (Beemaster) has had a horrible experience of dropping a whole box of bees on his feet (maybe 20,000 bees in it). He wasn't wearing a suit that day, but only a shirt and short with shoes. The worst part was the fact that he was wearing BOXERS instead of briefs........ not a good thing. :)

I've only been stung once, on my hand. My cat got a good dose of the bees though. I felt bad for her, but it was kinda funny. She thought the bees looked intersting to play with, and she stuck her paw in the hive entrance. The guard bees quickly rushed out, lunged on her back, and dug in for some stings. The poor girl went running off, kicking and hissing, and the bees looked like they were going for a bucking bronco ride. Taught her not to follow me over to the hives while I work. She keeps her distance now.

Beth

BigRog:
Getting a phone call to go capture a swarm


http://beemaster.com/beebbs/viewtopic.php?t=503&highlight=swarm


Mentoring a newbee like myself

Going to schools and explaining beekeeping

Think the Beemaster might know a thing or two about that

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