# Who Is Your Beekeeping Role Model?



## westernbeekeeper (May 2, 2012)

Michael Bush


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## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

Richard Taylor


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## camero7 (Sep 21, 2009)

I have 3: Randy Oliver, Peter Borst and Allen Dick.


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## Timjack (Dec 23, 2012)

The fat beeman


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## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

I have a few, Richard Taylor, fatbeeman, and Honey Householder.


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## westernbeekeeper (May 2, 2012)

I would have to add that Don Kuchenmiester (aka FatBeeMan) is also very high ranking.


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## Ross (Apr 30, 2003)

I modeled my beekeeping after Michael Bush and his writings.


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## Adrian Quiney WI (Sep 14, 2007)

In no particular order: Michael Bush (got me into beekeeping relatively cheaply), Roland (Wisconsin beekeeping virtual mentor), Mel Disselkoen (MDA splitter outbreeding the mites), Michael Palmer (Nuc guru), Jim Kloek of Natures Nectar (My most local resource), Allen Dick (Retired Canadian Beekeeper, and Diary Writer).


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## shannonswyatt (May 7, 2012)

Bunch of them. Michael Bush, Michael Palmer, Fat Bee Man, JP The Beeman (youtube!) Les Crowder, and my cousin Shane (my sounding board). None of them (if they are smart!) would claim me!


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## weldingfreak6010 (Sep 11, 2012)

I would have to say first fat bee man, Michael Bush, Michael Palmer, JP The Bee-man


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## djastram (May 1, 2011)

Mine are the "regulars" in the beesource.com chat room, and all of the "youtube" beekeepers who share their wisdom. I've learned a lot! I only wish Michael Bush and JP would visit chat sometime.


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## VolunteerK9 (Aug 19, 2011)

About any of you guys that regularly post on here. No telling how many times I've came here looking for a direction to go and found it within a search or two.


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## Ledge (Dec 15, 2010)

My 8 year old. He dives in to a hive with utter wonderment, complete fearlessness, absolute delight, and reckless abandon. I want to be just like him.


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## Fishman43 (Sep 26, 2011)

Michael Bush (have his book), Michael Palmer (anxiously waiting for his book), the bees... and countless others who take the time to answer questions and post information online in places like Beesource, and their own websites.


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## Hokie Bee Daddy (Apr 1, 2011)

Locally my mentor is the President of our Beekeeping club - a sharp man with a lot of practical knowledge. My Beesource mentor is definitely Oldtimer. I read everything he has to say and he's been kind enough to PM me about several problems I've had. On the internet generally it would be Michael Bush and Randy Oliver.


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## RAK (May 2, 2010)

Rak inch:


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## mac (May 1, 2005)

Ace


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Mac, your signature line seems to have a _much _deeper meaning today! :lookout:


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## rwurster (Oct 30, 2010)

A migratory beekeeper in my area.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Richard Taylor, Dee and Ed Lusby, G.M. Doolittle, Jay Smith, Isaac Hopkins, Brother Adam, Kirk Webster, Francis Huber, C.C. Miller, L.L. Langstroth, A.I. Root, Michael Palmer, W.Z. Hutchinson...


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## Joel (Mar 3, 2005)

camero7 said:


> I have 3: Randy Oliver, Peter Borst and Allen Dick.


I'll 2nd Peter Borst and add Richard Taylor and Bernie Draper, the last two are sorely missed. Randy is up there on my list for a great deal of good work.


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

Charlie B


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## Isaac Colvin (Mar 7, 2012)

Eddie McKenzie, a sort of retired commercial beekeeper in my area. Raises bees sustainably.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Gypsi said:


> Charlie B


Poor misguided soul....


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## Ian (Jan 16, 2003)

Got to be Randy Oliver, I have sat in on some of his presentations, 
I also read alot of his discussions on Bee-L


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## praxis178 (Dec 26, 2012)

My Grandfather, He started bee keeping around the end of WW2 in Scandinavia/Baltic coast, starting with a Warre like TB hive and eventually adding frames then going to Langstroth like hive in the late 70's. It wasn't his primary income, he was a fisherman till he retired in the 80's, but always had bees and now while he turns 91 next week he still has a hive, just for fun now. What more could you aim for?


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Brother Adam


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

i haven't found the 'one', but i am thankful for the wisdom shared by several of those already mentioned here.

i especially follow the advice of 'let the bees teach you.....'.


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## DonShackelford (Jan 17, 2012)

After a year back with the bees, and looking for a direction, I am settling in on 5 over 5 nucs modeled by Michael Palmer. My one year goal is to have 150-200 going into next winter.

Mel Disselkoen is also a role model. I've used his OTS notching technique with good results. Fast, easy, and even an old blind guy can do it!


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## HoneyBeeWare (Dec 16, 2010)

EH Adee


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## Rob Renneker (Aug 7, 2006)

Definately my grandfather and uncle. I have long admired any work Randy Oliver does as well.


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## d-amick (Oct 27, 2012)

My beekeeping mentor is odfrank, Father Frank the-humble-beekeeper, Grumpy, Olly. He has not thrown me out of his yard yet. Randy Oliver is good also.


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## shannonswyatt (May 7, 2012)

d-amick said:


> My beekeeping mentor is odfrank, Father Frank the-humble-beekeeper, Grumpy, Olly. He has not thrown me out of his yard yet. Randy Oliver is good also.


I was thinking of referring to odfrank as the ghost of swarms passed, since they pass everyone else and go to him.


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## mac (May 1, 2005)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> Mac, your signature line seems to have a _much _deeper meaning today! :lookout:


:lookout: :-}


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

d-amick said:


> My beekeeping mentor is odfrank, Father Frank the-humble-beekeeper, Grumpy, Olly.


Wow really? Talk about a poor misguided soul!


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## ashb82 (Apr 22, 2010)

August Boatwright


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## kenr (Sep 25, 2005)

Beesource!!I knew almost nothing about beekeeping and I've learned most of what I know on this site.Thanks Barry for a great websight for people who don't have mentors.


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## Tia (Nov 19, 2003)

Tom Seeley; Michael Bush


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## The Honey Householder (Nov 14, 2008)

My DAD! 
Sorry not really a book beekeeper. I send most my time in the hives, and get a little time to read on here from time to time. Gotten good at honey producing, and maybe one day I will relearn keeping bees.:scratch:


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

I got the honeybee bug from spending summers with my Grandfather. His Grandfather kept bees too. More recently, I've gotten a lot of great advice from people on this forum and others. I'm really excited to try more of Mike Palmer's ideas around nuc management, and to mix in some of my own ideas along the way. If I figure out anything good, then I'll be happy to bring it back to this forum to share it.


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## ccar2000 (Aug 9, 2009)

My role model for hive set up is Jerry Hayes for the "Queen Excluder or Honey Excluder?" and Michael Bush for the narrow frame beekeeping technique and the bees for just doing what they have to do to survive my "help"


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## jdawdy (May 22, 2012)

Brother Adam. I want to be 89 years old, trekking through Africa looking for new sources of bee genetics to add to my world famous line of queens.

Yeah, I know, dream on. If I'm REALLY luckily, when I'm 89 I might still be able to tie my own shoe laces.


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## DonShackelford (Jan 17, 2012)

I need to add Michael Bush to my list for foundationless frames, although I have to admit to a love/hate relationship with them. Being a cheapskate, I love the cost. They do require more work to get a good frame of worker cells, and my particular (superior ) design is labor intensive. I'm hoping to improve cell quality by focusing on nucs this season for increase and comb building.


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## DonShackelford (Jan 17, 2012)

jdawdy said:


> If I'm REALLY luckily, when I'm 89 I might still be able to tie my own shoe laces.


That's why I listed Mike Palmer as my primary role model for his 5 over 5 nucs. I'm no spring chicken, so I figure I can keep bees as long as I can lift a 5 frame deep.


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