JULY 1, 2011 BEEKEEPING AS A HOBBY

"ANY IDEA HELD IN THE MIND THAT IS EITHER FEARED OR REVERED, WILL BEGIN AT ONCE TO CLOTHE ITSELF IN THE MOST CONVENIENT AND APPROPRIATE PHYSICAL FORMS AVAILABLE.

---Andrew Carnegie

The mind is very powerful. It is always said, "Be careful for what you wish for." Be careful of the idea of fear in your mind. You worst fears can loop in your mind. These fears might never come true, however the fears can manifest as physical ailments. I am not only talking about depression and anxiety but also pain. The physical area that usually suffers is the back. Many people deal with back pain. The full medical work-up can be totally negative, but the patient feels pain. Dr John Sarno has written many books on psychological back pain. This is real pain. You might get a migraine/headache which is coming from the thought of confrontation with your life partner. The nauseous feeling might be anxiety over talking to your boss about a raise.

Remember the mind is powerful.

Beekeeping is a very simple process once you know all the parts. Rick and I are new beekeepers. It is more than a hobby. It is my passion. I want to help the environment. In 2005 there was a loss of more than 50% of honeybees. This was due to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD). It was related to pesticides and varroa mites. There are probably many other causes. From my reading I learned about the wax moth that plagued beekeepers early on in the beekeeping industry. There also was a bacterial disease called American foulbrood which killed the young larva and was highly infectious in the hives.

I am not the only doctor who loves bees. CC Miller was a trained physician who took up beekeeeping as a hobby in 1861. In 1878 he closed his medical practice and turned full-time to the bees. This is my kind of guy. He wrote the book, Fifty Years Among the Bees, a Memoir and Practical Guide to being successful as a maker of honey. I recently found a copy of the book online and am now awaiting its arrival.

Not only will you find bees fascinating but the history of beekeeping is equally intriguing. You can read about Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth (LLL) who was born in 1810. At age 23 he took up beekeeping as a hobby. Prior to that he studied another insect, the ant. The trouble that LLL found is that to get the honey and comb out you had to destroy the beehive. In 1851 he imagined a new type of beehive. Since bees are so precise (I wish I could be that exact) he had to find the distance needed between frames for bees to move up and down inside the hive. He found this distance to be 3/8 of an inch. He filed a patent. The basic Langstroth hive is the same one I have placed in my garden. In 1853 he published a book (if anyone finds an original copy, please promptly mail it to me- I have an updated copy) called The Hive and the Honeybee. He described the benefits of the hive and good bee management.

My favorite book on Beekeeping today is The Backyard Beekeeper. Yes there are a lot of books to read- but all worth it. Some are The Honey Bee, The Beekeeper's Lament and Bee Democracy.

I have joined two beekeeping associations, the New York Bee Association as well as the Long Island Bee Association. Rick and I took courses with Chris Harp.(http://www.honeybeelives.org/) He and Grai are beekeepers in New Paltz, New York. Earlier this year they had workshops which we attended. Take a look at their schedule for this weekend and next.

As beekeeper John Miller states, "This calling feels good." John Miller is from a family of beekeepers. I believe he is the great, great, (possibly 3rd great) grandson of NE Miller, the pioneer man of beekeeping. After reading I have come to the conclusion that LLL, NE Miller and now John are the highest quality beekeepers. Unlike some of the traveling beekeepers we may see today, these men care about bees beyond the service of pollination they provide. NE Miller beekeeping business survived the downs and twists and even the Depression after the 1929 crash.

For the most part I am satisfied with my G.O.D chosen calling. However I have been looking for something different in the field of medicine for some time. There are many modalities that heal people-physically, emotionally and psychologically. My calling is expanding-- now including my work as a beekeeper and using Earth Mother for sources of healing.

LLL wrote that the beekeeper must be sure, "...he fully understands and punctually discharges the appropriate duties of each month, neglecting nothing and procrastinating nothing to a more convenient season; for bees do not require a large amount of attention, in proportion to the profits yielded by them, they must have it at the proper time and in the right way."

I have been fortunate in my life. Last weekend while in Norton, MA I decided I would go into Boston earlier on Sunday to meet with my son, Gregory. Together we traveled to the The Boston Fine Arts Museum to see a film of wonder and delight: The Queen of the Sun. For anyone who wants to see a film of the utmost importance about bees and beekeeping, it is a must to see this film! (http://www.queenofthesun.com/)

It is an eloquent confirmation that my sober life and the people in it are temporary joys, but the time I spend enjoying them is never lost. If I conquer my fears which include even facing the end of my live and leaving behind those I love --I can conquer anything.

Until tomorrow...