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The Joy of Helping Others
By: David Burns
One of the greatest joys in beekeeping is helping a prospective or new beekeeper get started. It is so enjoyable when you can open up a hive with a new beekeeper and spend time explaining what the bees are doing and to show the various contents on a frame, stages of brood and the difference between honey and nectar. I will always have them poke their finger into capped honey and watch it collect on their finger and then see the look on their face when they taste real, fresh honey.
Now with the saturation of social media, the opportunity for hands on training is less of an option than it once was. There are so many new beekeepers now that it’s impossible to match each one with an experienced beekeeper near them. I totally understand the value and importance of helping beekeepers through social media and that’s why I’ve had a beekeeping YouTube channel now for 17 years. It’s a ton of work, but it helps so many beekeepers around the world. But I miss being in the hive one on one with new beekeepers.
That’s why each year I pick several people to come and work bees with me one on one. This year I selected six new beekeepers to spend time with me in the hive. I start this year with my sister Phyllis from Tennessee. She is not a beekeeper but she is interested. She is a retired RN and lives out in the country and has lived vicariously in the hive through me and my telling her how much I love everything about beekeeping.
I suited her up and we dove into a large hive. She was great. She wasn’t afraid and was so fascinated with the inside of a hive. She found the queen, tasted fresh honey, and learned everything I could show her in twenty minutes. Being a RN her whole life, she immediately would answer my introductory biology lessons perfectly. She handled the frames and the bees like a nurse would handle a patient. It was so rewarding and she is excited about starting beekeeping in the Spring. It was a hoot for me because as her younger brother I got to show off my favorite thing that I love to do, play in a hive.
Judee and her husband flew up from Texas to work bees with me next. I met Judee when I spoke at the Texas State meeting early in the year. Judee had such a great respect for the bees and handled the inspections like a veteran beekeeper. I was teaching Judee how to not wear gloves and how to mark and handle queens. She loved it.
Next was Ryan from Ohio. I had a big project of moving a large hive a significant distance. Ryan was a trooper and dove right in and we were able to move the hive and inspect other hives.
Next was Jaimie from Indiana. Jaimie admitted that he mostly learned everything he knows about bees from my YouTube videos. It showed. His techniques were so similar to my specific techniques. And Jaimie was kind enough to bring me an entire hive that he built and stained for me. It is beautiful. He is a cancer survivor, and it was inspiring to learn of his journey and great endurance.
Next was Sunshine and Chris. I met them a year ago when I spoke in Indianapolis at a meeting they were at. They were the first married couple I mentored in the hives. They worked hives as a couple and they were each very helpful to each other as they worked bees.
Next was Mark from Indiana. Mark showed me an entire notebook of notes and beekeeping information that he had gathered up to increase his bee knowledge. Mark was very good at working the bees and understanding how to read their behaviors as he worked the hives.
Each learned a few new ways that would help improve their future in working bees. I learned a few new things from them as well. It was such a pleasure to share my almost 30 years of experience with each of these mentees and to see how hungry they were to learn anything they could about bees and inspecting a hive.
I know that most beekeepers with years of experience and knowledge are deep into various beekeeping projects and taking time to spend the day helping a new beekeeper can seem impossible and a disruption of a demanding schedule. But I would strongly encourage experienced beekeepers to find the time to invite new beekeepers to learn from your vast years of experience and knowledge.
I’m already contemplating if I can invite someone out once a week next year for the whole bee season. Can’t promise it will work out, but it is my hope that I can do that because it is not only helpful to our future beekeepers but so rewarding to know that what we’ve learned over the years can continue to the next generations.
