Whilst working bees in the field, the observant beekeeper often comes across things that stand out as unusual, or are against the flow of standard thinking. Some of these things are worthy of further study, some are just curiosities and yet others are just plain observations that you may only ever see once.

The Items listed at left are a mixture of these categories. Dave Cushman was a great supporter of the better Email discussion lists and many have already been the subject of discussion on them.

Since the original writing of this text, the price and availability of digital cameras and 'phones has made this observation process more easy and provides visible data, both film and video, that can be used to aid discussion and back up the claims, some of which are hard to believe, or go against the "beekeeping by numbers" teaching and what is in many modern beekeeping text books.

The modern beekeeper tends to follow "standard information" or what has been scientifically researched, often dismissing what good, sound, experienced beekeepers have observed and tell them. This often closes minds to what bees teach them. Observation is an important part of beekeeping, that together with lateral thinking and gumption, will increase learning considerably. There are many things in beekeeping that aren't always as we are told, sometimes quite forcibly. Some of these are in my book "Beekeeping: Challenge what you are told".

Originally written by Dave Cushman. Edited and additions by Roger Patterson.

Page created pre-2006

Page updated 30/11/2022