# Attention Employers! Would you hire me if I...



## fatscher (Apr 18, 2008)

Had only three years of beekeeping experience, but...

1. I'm not afraid of stings
2. I've actually raised my own queens, and knew what I was doing
3. My honey production increased from 20 lbs my 1st year, to 60 lbs my 2nd year to 125 lbs my 3rd year?
4. I know and understand the role of nurse bees in banking queens
5. I just built my own top bar hive from plans I made myself
6. I Helped package bees at Reggie Wilbanks apiary in Claxton GA in 2009
7. I Passed the Virginia state qualified beekeeper certification
8. I Made my own candles from burr comb
9. I'm Currently serving as the president of our bee club
10. I served as Past secretary of our bee club
11. I have hentored 5 students
12. I don't have a forklift operators' license, but willing to learn
13. I don't have a truck drivers license, but willing to learn
14. I Have my own smoker, hive tools, & bee suit
15. I think I need a starting salary of 25-30 dollars per hour, but willing to negotiate, of course.
16. I'm a military retiree, very dependable, loyal to the company, good work ethic
17. I overwintered 2 nucs last year but am overwintering 12 nucs this year.
18. Not afraid to grab queens with bare hands
19. Work without gloves
20. Can lift 100 lb supers like they're boxes filled with hair.
21. Bonus: I worked contracts in the USAF so I understand terms and conditions and negotiating.


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## Beeslave (Feb 6, 2009)

I would if I needed the help but the $25.00-$30.00 per hour would be way off base. I could hire Hose A, Hose B, and Hose C all together for that price. With last years honey crop I didn't even make that per hour myself.


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## gregstahlman (Oct 7, 2009)

WOW!!!! $25-$30/hr. be making more money than the boss. dont think you will find work in this industry for those wages. i got a guy that can do every but graft for $12.50/hr. just can't make that kind of money unless you own the business. personally i almost think it's an insult that you would even consider such a starting wage.


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## concrete-bees (Jun 20, 2009)

yeah - rather high- im a certified welder and certified elect and only make 23hr 

seems if you want to make that money - its up to you to start your own company and see how much you make an hour - 

if you know soo much then starting a company should be cake walk - 
seems wrong to take someone else hard earned money - it takes a lot of hours at night,weekends, and holidays to be a boss - and those are hours we never get back and never get paid for - 

but keep trying ......never know we could all be wrong ...... i think the lonly bin has a hive you can work for 25 an hour ...... Just kidding but really - think about you question most hired hands make about 9 hr - most are less
most of my help is two 18 year old and cost me 12 beers - and thats for the day -


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## suttonbeeman (Aug 22, 2003)

I agree with greg! But just in case...I might be interested in a job for that wage..here is my experience ect....34 yrs experience working 100's hives of bees, bs degree, class a cdl, 40+ years experience operating tractors, machinery and forklift, experienced at packing over a two hundred barrels honey/yr, expert at making creamed honey, experience raising queens, moved bees from coast to coast and north border to south border, won numerous awards including beekeeper of year, 50+ blue ribbons in american honey show including this year, four best of shows at ameican honey show, officer in local, state and national organizations. Given seminars on requeening, two queen colonies, wintering bees, moving bees, and numerous other beehive manipulations, packing honey, making ceamed honey including flavored creamed honey, marketing honey packing and labeling honey at local, state and national meetings. No drugs hard worker If anyone is interested in paying 30/hr let me know! I would be interested in talking!


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## BigDaddyDS (Aug 28, 2007)

You're definitely someone with skills that I'd be looking for. when I read how much you're looking for hourly!

Wow! If I could make that much somewhere, I'd quit beekeeping myself and work for them. (It'd pay better and I'd have fewer headaches!)

DS


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

I probably should be realistic about the "new hired hand".
My at risk investment net proceeds would go to wages. 
I do not think you will be paid what you are asking.
One rough day of working in the field, loading at dusk, driving to the new destination, unloading and returning home will be an awakening. Even at $12.50/hour.
Ernie


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## mythomane (Feb 18, 2009)

Fatscher...you realize the USA is at somewhere around 20% unemployment and we are in the worst economic shape since the depression? Just wondering...


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## Cedar Hill (Jan 27, 2009)

Start your own pollination business. Work with someone at *whatever wages* he's willing to pay, learn how it is done well. In the meantime, start searching for old hives along roads in your area that don't seem to be cared for, covers off, hives tilted or down, etc. These will be hives that may be part of an estate, whose new owners are very willing to dispose of them. Buy them, you might be lucky and get more than just what you saw initially. Get the mailing lists of fruit farmers or orchadists from your state agriculture dept. and those of the neighboring states. Mail postcards with a return self adressed card to these farmers telling them your pollination fees during the late winter. Been there, done that. It is very doable. Oh.... hope you have a truck. OMTCW


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## Chick (May 21, 2009)

Wait a sec. He didn't say he trying to be hired as a beekeeper, only that he had all that experience. Maybe he was trying to make a point. 

What exactly are you looking for?


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

If you are willing to relocate, have your own transportation and are willing to work for between $10.00 and $15.00 per hour, I could perhaps find someone who would hire you. Lower wages w/ room and board included.


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## fatscher (Apr 18, 2008)

gregstahlman said:


> WOW!!!! $25-$30/hr. be making more money than the boss. dont think you will find work in this industry for those wages. i got a guy that can do every but graft for $12.50/hr. just can't make that kind of money unless you own the business. personally i almost think it's an insult that you would even consider such a starting wage.


Sorry, my sincere apologies. Was not trying to insult. I really do not know. I plead total ignorance on what a rate should be. I will say that I saw a wanted ad in American Bee Journal which would pay $15-20 per hour, so I was targeting high.

I've never worked in the private sector, so I have no frame of reference on this matter. If I offended with my question, I'm truly sorry.


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## fatscher (Apr 18, 2008)

Chick said:


> Wait a sec. He didn't say he trying to be hired as a beekeeper, only that he had all that experience. Maybe he was trying to make a point.
> 
> What exactly are you looking for?


I have no ulterior motives, was genuinely (and naiively) curious. I would like to wake up and actually enjoy going to work. Bees are my passion, my current work is not (I'm a USAF officer retiring who's probably going to get hired on as a defense contractor just to pay a house mortgage...)

...and yes, mythomane, I'm pretty keenly aware about the economy, sorry you're on hard times. Come to Washington DC and become a beltway bandit and you'll start out at 90K a year. But it won't be what you like to do. Get my point?


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

Living out here in CA, if I didn't make [email protected] I couldn't make my house payment. House payments out here start at $3000 a month in a bad neighborhood.

I'm a construction worker in housing.
We get medical, 401K, @ pension on top of the base rate.


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## trapperbob (May 27, 2007)

If you are retireing take a part time job and try to start a bee business of some sort. Good queens and nukes are always in demand a small beekeeping supply place is also an option. People love to come in and see the products they want to buy so they can decide if the quality matches the price. Just an idea


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

Why ask us?? Sounds like you got the tiger by the tail, and can afford alot of bees. Jump in! Go commercial right away. Find out what CCD , AFB, SHB, Nosema C., are all about. It is easy to make a small fortune in commercial beekeeping(start with a large one).


Roland


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## Bud Dingler (Feb 8, 2008)

I pay $12-$16 an hour for my crew. I offer a group health care plan and my main beekeeper gets a deal on housing and a free vehicle to drive.


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## suttonbeeman (Aug 22, 2003)

I wonder if Bud is getting some Consulting fees from Bayer to pay those wages? just joking!!


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## devdog108 (May 7, 2009)

I dont see an issue with what you came out and said. I don't know of a single person that doesn't go in high in a job interview. I was starting guys out for $20.00/hr who had some electronics experience, not even OJT for ATM machines. I am a 1099 now because i am retired, but in my industry, hourly rates ate from $115.00 to $400.00/hr during normal work hours. Some Jobs, i charge $50.00/hr and some go for a heck of a lot more......just depends. If you have that passion, I say go for it. Worst thing that can happen is someone saying no.....


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## mythomane (Feb 18, 2009)

kq6ar:

That is a pretty good gig! I was a contractor for many years and rarely paid that kind of money out. I get 200 guys calling me for just one job at 8$ an hour here in Dallas, and the economy is not even supposed to be that bad around these parts. Things are different in California I guess...they give janitors $700,000 mortgages out there...

fatscher:

I don't think you are really insulting anyone. The realities are just different than what you posted. There are a lot of people looking for work right now, and they will work harder than you for $8 an hour.


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## fatscher (Apr 18, 2008)

Roland said:


> Why ask us?? Sounds like you got the tiger by the tail, and can afford alot of bees. Jump in! Go commercial right away. Find out what CCD , AFB, SHB, Nosema C., are all about. It is easy to make a small fortune in commercial beekeeping(start with a large one).
> 
> 
> Roland


Why ask you?? Well for starters, since I originally posted this onto the commercial beekeeper thread (but it got moved to "bee forums" for some reason as I assume I broke a rule from the moderators' point of view), I thought I was fact-finding/opinion-seeking by asking EMPLOYERS of beekeepers what would be the chance I could get hired on. So, if you're not an employer, Roland, then feel free to ignore this. If you ARE an employer I'd really appreciate some sage advice, if you care to impart some wisdom.

Secondly, I had no idea what my beekeeping skills are/were worth to an employer. Now I know (I think) and I respect that. Kinda sleptwalked into the buzz-saw there, but I FULLY understand now. Believe me!

Thirdly, I wouldn't say I have the tiger by the tail, and if you say I do, then you're a whole lot more confident and faithful in me than I am about myself. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt there.

With only 3 years under my belt, going commercial intimidates me enough that I'd like to get my toes wet working for someone else, before I take the plunge. Which is why I asked the question. I didn't fall off the turnip truck yesterday, and I'm not naiive enough to throw all caution into the wind and go spend $200,000 on 1,000 hives plus equipment. After my house just got appraised for 53% of the value I paid for it in 2006, I doubt the bank would loan me the money anyway.:lpf:

So this leaves me to my original question. About the only thing I have in common with a good gentleman south of the rio grande who's employable is I have dark hair, other than that I'm about as lily-white tenderfoot you can get.

I appreciate all the kind and understanding remarks to my question.


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## mythomane (Feb 18, 2009)

If you really want to learn something, go spend a month or two with Michael Palmer and/or Dee Lusby in an intern capacity. They will take you on and the experience is more than payment enough if you are thinking about going commercial. There are also a few jobs listed in the Employment Needed section, which you have probably seen already.


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## fatscher (Apr 18, 2008)

mythomane said:


> If you really want to learn something, go spend a month or two with Michael Palmer and/or Dee Lusby in an intern capacity. They will take you on and the experience is more than payment enough if you are thinking about going commercial. There are also a few jobs listed in the Employment Needed section, which you have probably seen already.


Appreciate your advice. Before you gave it, I've already taken it. I am traveling to Vermont to spend 2 weeks with Mike Palmer while I'm on transition leave from the military. Did you do military service?

Where is the employment needed section? Sorry to be dense but I missed it.


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

Wow, tough crowd here.
Sorry about that fatscher.


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## Countryboy (Feb 15, 2009)

_I thought I was fact-finding/opinion-seeking by asking EMPLOYERS of beekeepers what would be the chance I could get hired on. _

I'm pretty sure Roland is commercial, and probably hires folks. I think the point he was trying to make is that if you are going to ask for CEO pay, then you need to be the CEO. 

You would probably be further ahead to say, "These are my skills. What are they worth to you employers out there?" Then you could decide if you really wanted/could afford to pursue this line of work.


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## devdog108 (May 7, 2009)

I still dont think you were wrong fat...i just dont. aim high...oh wait thats the airforce...LOL


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## fatscher (Apr 18, 2008)

Countryboy said:


> _I thought I was fact-finding/opinion-seeking by asking EMPLOYERS of beekeepers what would be the chance I could get hired on. _
> 
> I'm pretty sure Roland is commercial, and probably hires folks. I think the point he was trying to make is that if you are going to ask for CEO pay, then you need to be the CEO.
> 
> You would probably be further ahead to say, "These are my skills. What are they worth to you employers out there?" Then you could decide if you really wanted/could afford to pursue this line of work.


I.... AM.... SO.... SORRY... I ever asked this question. CEO pay? Hold on, let me google Knox County, OH. Hmmm, halfway between Akron and Columbus is not an area I'd call boonies, but dude, CEO pay? Please, the comparison is borderline offensive.


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## fatscher (Apr 18, 2008)

devdog108 said:


> I still dont think you were wrong fat...i just dont. aim high...oh wait thats the airforce...LOL


Semper fi there, dev dog. Appreciate you keeping the mood light while I'm taking shots to my T-box!


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## fatscher (Apr 18, 2008)

Barry said:


> Wow, tough crowd here.
> Sorry about that fatscher.


It's what I get for being stupid. :doh:


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

fatscher said:


> Where is the employment needed section? Sorry to be dense but I missed it.


It's listed under The Exchange section towards the bittom of the page that displays Forums
Ernie


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## Countryboy (Feb 15, 2009)

_but dude, CEO pay? Please, the comparison is borderline offensive. _

You had commercial guys asking for the $25-$30 an hour job.

I'm sure you will find commercial guys who make less than $50K-$60K a year - and that's what a $25 or $30 an hour job is. And to make their salary, they have tens of thousands of dollars in overhead invested.

If you think it is offensive for a $25-$30 an hour to be called CEO pay, now you see why employers were so offended when you asked for $25-$30 an hour. 

You will need 33,000-40,000 pounds of honey produced in excess of expenses to make $50K-$60K.

500 hives is normally considered to be commercial. To pay a $50K-$60K salary, your hives would have to produce an extra 66-80 pounds of honey per hive.

_Hmmm, halfway between Akron and Columbus is not an area I'd call boonies, but dude, CEO pay?_

Around here, $15 an hour is considered a very good job. $10-$12 is what many folks raise their families on.


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## fatscher (Apr 18, 2008)

Countryboy said:


> ...now you see why employers were so offended when you asked for $25-$30 an hour.


You betcha, crystal, 20/20, I sure do see... sure sorry to get folks riled. It was not my intention, sir.

I wish you could spend a day in my shoes, sit in highway traffic for 3 hours, 75 mile commute round trip, cut throat competition, you fail to earn your company a million dollar contract and you get a pink slip, staffers, suits in Washington DC look at your 15 bucks an hour, and see the poor fellow living in a cardboard box underneath the interstate bridge makes more than that begging.

The air you breathe here costs you $15 bucks an hour. It's all in perspective.


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## 123456789 (May 24, 2009)

I'm embarrassed to be a commercial beekeeper right now


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## bigeddie (Feb 19, 2008)

I'm embarrassed that people are giving Fatscher such a rough time.
Where he lives the wages are not the same as the dudes in Ohio get. If someone lived in N.Y. City and had to pay 3000.00 per mo. for an apartment, just how far do you think that 10 bucks an hour would go?

Fatscher, If I was a commercial guy I would be telling you what I was going to pay and it would be up to you to accept or reject the offer. Simple as that.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

Beekeeping businesses work on very thin profit margins. This is an industry that has been hard hit by imports from countries that have nowhere near the overhead and restrictions that are imposed on American business. Because its an industry that has been thrown to the wolves,its a race to the bottom to survive. That is why you cannot get big wages.
Now if we could just import politicians from China , we could save this country billions.


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## Hormel (Nov 8, 2007)

[/QUOTE] I think you need a real wake up call. Do you even know what a hard days work of manual labor is? doubt if you could do 1/2 the work of those $8/ hr guys.[/QUOTE]

I think you should give the guy a break. He may have had an incorrect assumption of what the going rate for his services are but it is a mistake to assume he does not know the value of a hard days work. Many folks have busted their hump laboring before getting the 'privilege' to drive a desk. A manual job at an hourly rate that you can forget about after you go home sounds pretty good sometimes, I don't get why this thread is so harsh.


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## devdog108 (May 7, 2009)

kwest said:


> give me a break man. how ignorant are you to how the commen man lives. i dont really feel bad for you after your bragging about the "air you breath here costs $15 an hour. the begger makes more than that."
> 
> I think you need a real wake up call. Do you even know what a hard days work of manual labor is? doubt if you could do 1/2 the work of those $8/ hr guys.


Umm K, did you HAPPEN to miss the part where he said he was RETIRING FROM THE MILITARY???? I would hire him based of his humilty here in front of people with zero understanding. been there done that, got the 115 degree teeshirt from working in a jungle in Thailand in the Marine Corps......He has my respect based on that alone.....

Here at BS, i expected the people who are replying to have a bit more humilty. Im bluntly honest and sometimes way too forward, but you guys should be embarrased if you railed on him....Kinda sad IMHO. How many times do you want a guy to say...hey, i made a mistake based on something i read......jeez. take a breathe all.....IT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE. You take a guy like this who wants to join our Beek community here and hammer him.....sad IMHO...just Sad.


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## bigbearomaha (Sep 3, 2009)

OFF WITH HIS HEAD!

heh heh.

well, we all have to keep in mind there are various perspectives from all around the country here. 

Some folks here think that if you don't own your own business then you are just a shill. Others don't want anything to do with working for someone else only because they tire of the incessant office politics BS. Even more others are just trying to make ends meet any way they can because of the poor economic situation in their area.

It's not hard to imagine that misunderstanding combined with high hopes and a lot of idealism the guy could think beekeeper employee wages could be attractively high.

dev, you should know better. this is a forum of beeks from all over the country if not the world. There are always going to be down to earth, non assuming folks and there will always be the stick up their ..uh.. nose types who find themselves to be the greatest people they know.

Again, it's all just opinion. and I am going to enjoy repeating a line I saw on beesource recently "opinions are like bellybuttons and neither hold much water."

take a deep breath everyone and take a spoon full of honey. now then on to the more important questions about beekeeping like " when will the dang snow finally melt and Spring actually get here?"

Big Bear


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## c10250 (Feb 3, 2009)

kwest said:


> give me a break man. how ignorant are you to how the commen man lives. i dont really feel bad for you after your bragging about the "air you breath here costs $15 an hour. the begger makes more than that."
> 
> I think you need a real wake up call. Do you even know what a hard days work of manual labor is? doubt if you could do 1/2 the work of those $8/ hr guys.


I don't think you understand AT ALL what he is trying to say. Lighten up Francis! You do not represent this forum well.

Ken


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## Cascade Failure (Feb 4, 2010)

Interesting thread.


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## bigeddie (Feb 19, 2008)

And to think some people thought tailgater was mean and nasty. At least there you couldn't make personel attacks.
I wonder how new people and visitors to the site react when they read this crap. Ya think it makes them feel welcome?

Anyhow Fatscher, Thanks for your service to our country.


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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

Wow. Fatcher asked a legitimate question. I don't know what prompted so many off the wall comments. Time for cleansing flights maybe...?


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## bigeddie (Feb 19, 2008)

Barry, Amen to the cleansing.:thumbsup:


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

Bottom line ,Fatcher, is YOU can find a job in beekeeping.But you wont make much money. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am NOT in it to get rich , but because its what I really like to do.

You have already shown you have a thick skin and can take the stings.


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## Allen Dick (Jan 10, 2009)

Keep in mind that we are seeing a biased sample here. The guys making and paying the big bucks are not saying anything. After all, this is a competitive business and people are often careful what they reveal when it comes to money. 

As a starting wage as a laborer in beekeeping, maybe (probably) the stated expections are 'way out of line, but in specific cases it all depends what you can bring to the table besides grunt labor. Some investment and management contribution to a business can make a difference, but then there is risk and no guarantees. Being disciplined and trustworthy with good language skills and the ability to meet people, find locations, and manage business details are probably not in demand in most outfits, but somewhere there is a beekeeper needing that profile.

I saw a _house painter_ take over one of the biggest outfits in Alberta and run it successfully after only a year or two of coaching by the retiring owner. I have no idea if he had _any_ bee experience to that point or what money he brought to the table, but he is going strong a decade or more later and is highly respected among his peers.

Obviously there are quite a few beekeepers making far more than you are thinking about, just not to start. There are also jobs in the industry which may pay fairly well compared to the basic labor positions. Bee inspection, for instance, pays more than base labor, and varies from place to place. There are sales jobs which might get you around to see the landscape and sniff out openings. 

There are huge disparities in both income and costs betwen the cities and rural areas, once you get outside the gentrified zones. It takes a lot less to live quite well in the country. That is quite a surprise to city folks.

Don't give up, and nil bastarde carborundum.

And, if you do take the low-paying starter job, think of all the benefits: For one thing, you won't have to get by on just 40 hours a week. You can work 25-hour days. You may not even need a home, since the owner has a truck cab and it will feel like home before long. With any luck, you'll also get a free trip to California (or two, or three) every year, with accomodation fully paid in one of a kind motels with quaint '70s decor and TVs. You also get to spend time out in the country, where few others ever go and you can go mud bogging in someone else's machine. You can also forget about needing or wanting to go to the gym and paying for exercise. You won't have a social life outside the iHop, so you'll save big there, too.

There are many more benefits that beekeepers only reveal to insiders. Maybe it needs its own thread. "You know you are a real beekeeper when..."


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

Hey Allen! Where do I sign up? Those are the most attractive job benefits I've seen in a long time! :lpf:

We also need to remember there is a difference between ignorance and stupidity. Take a Nobel-prize winning molecular biologist, put him in my shop with the power tools and stacks of lumber, hand him a sketch for a beehive and tell him to build one. We know he isn't stupid, but given that scenario, he's probably quite ignorant. Does that make him right or wrong? Good or bad? nope. Just means he's going to learn something new in the shop! (If he stays with it) :thumbsup:
Regards,
Steven


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## Roland (Dec 14, 2008)

Why ask you?? Well for starters, since I originally posted this onto the commercial beekeeper thread (but it got moved to "bee forums" for some reason as I assume I broke a rule from the moderators' point of view), I thought I was fact-finding/opinion-seeking by asking EMPLOYERS of beekeepers what would be the chance I could get hired on. So, if you're not an employer, Roland, then feel free to ignore this. If you ARE an employer I'd really appreciate some sage advice, if you care to impart some wisdom.

Secondly, I had no idea what my beekeeping skills are/were worth to an employer. Now I know (I think) and I respect that. Kinda sleptwalked into the buzz-saw there, but I FULLY understand now. Believe me!

Thirdly, I wouldn't say I have the tiger by the tail, and if you say I do, then you're a whole lot more confident and faithful in me than I am about myself. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt there.


reply:

No offence take, none implied.

I am not an employer at this time, but my family had been since the 30's. 

Sage advise? Can't say it is sage, but I will advise: As in the above post, where a house painter became a succesfull commercial beekeeper in a short time, I believe that the most important attribute for employment is believing that you know next to nothing about beekeeking. Every time I enter a beeyard, thinking I know what is happening, the girls hand me my posterior.
When I enter with the "not knowing" mindset(OK, so that's a little zen budhist), then I am able to perceive what the girls need from me to assist them. It is much easier for me to teach you what I want done, than for me to unteach what ever you have learned that worked in your local area, and then teach you what works where I am. 

Tiger by the tail? OK, I was out of line, but you have the gumtion to ask a question. That is good. And fear. You can see the pit falls. I have previously stated on this site, that working for me is a 64,000(from Groucho Marx) dollar job. That is what I would ask in pay, from you, for some of the knowledge(won't show all my cards) of how to deal with commercial situations. That sounds egotistical, but some of us have seen some terrible things, and figured out solutions, many years before the "learned" have.

So maybe you do have the "tiger by the tail". It all depends where your mind is.

Roland
Linden Apiary. Est 1852
5th generation beekeeper, 
working with Christian, 6th generation


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## kwest (May 16, 2009)

i appluade him for his military service.


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## Countryboy (Feb 15, 2009)

_I wish you could spend a day in my shoes, sit in highway traffic for 3 hours, 75 mile commute round trip, cut throat competition, you fail to earn your company a million dollar contract and you get a pink slip, staffers, suits in Washington DC look at your 15 bucks an hour, and see the poor fellow living in a cardboard box underneath the interstate bridge makes more than that begging._

And the last I had track, folks in government jobs are getting paid 45% more than their civilian counterparts doing comparable jobs. Leaving a government job for civilian life could explain the disillusionment in pay.

Just out of curiousity, how much do folks think your average commercial beekeepers earn, in order to be able to pay the aforementioned desired pay? (I'm not talking about your Adees.) 

I'm considering expanding to being a sideliner. Crunching the numbers, I figure by the time I have $20K-$25K in bees and equipment, I should be able to make $15K a year. (On paper I can make $30K, so half is more realistic.)


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## fatscher (Apr 18, 2008)

kwest said:


> i appluade him for his military service.


And I applaud you for sticking with a business that is in terrible need in this country. You probably don't get a lot of kudos for what you do, but you deserve it.

You're partly right, I've been in the public sector all my life, but I've worked hard over the years and under fire to boot...the SCUD missile alarm in Riyadh in 1992 got folks pretty worked up, but no harm done, just an alarm.

I don't take your comments as a personal attack. How could I? You really don't know me. I don't know all what commercial beeks go thru, but I'm willing to sit down and listen and learn. And I definitely appreciate what you do, and I'm jealous that you are doing what you love.

I can't afford to make you guys mad at me...who knows, I might be working for ya someday!!! That wouldn't make good sense if I was tryin to get hired.

Alls well.


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## valleyman (Nov 24, 2009)

Fatscher, thanks for your service to our country that has kept the right, and freedom for a bunch of ingrates to belittle and berate you. I am just getting back into beekeeping (3rd year) but after reading some of the bitterness here I think my equipment is for sale. Or might be free if my attiude gets this bad. I DID read where you said that you were willing to negotiate wages. I guess some did not read this. Very best of luck!!:applause:


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

Valleyman, you don't want to sell out... 
and fatscher, just remember (I know you've already experienced this), beekeepers on this forum, in fact, beeks everywhere, are just like any other group of people. Some are gems, some are diamonds in the rough, and some are simply lumps of coal. 
Regards,
Steven


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## eliahu (Dec 11, 2009)

i would love to work at 15$ per hour i am beekeeper all my childhood and keep bees together with my father i am 20 years old but i live outside the USA. I am caucasian beekeeper, hard worker as Georgian mountain grey bee


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## Budster (Mar 24, 2006)

Your probably worth every dime, but until we get the "illegal" workforce reduced, it will be hard...


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## terri lynn (Apr 5, 2009)

I'm kinda afraid to even post on this thread...:lookout: But fatscher, I do want to say not only thank you for your service, but I also respect and admire the way you've answered your attackers by remaining polite. There are some great people on this forum, and a number I recognize in this thread. You obviously hit a hot button. But, frankly, having some nerve and going after what you want is sometimes just what you need to succeed in life, as well as business, IMHO. One idea I might suggest until you find your dream job, you might consider cutouts and that type of thing. They are hard work, which you don't seem to mind, and they pay well in many areas. Well over the hourly wages you mentioned, according to some of the threads I've seen here. Now if I might humbly suggest...:gh: :gh:


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