What is the Gender of a beekeeper?

[efmesch]

I chose to post this item under the "Laugh a little" heading because it is seriously funny.

Registering as a member of this venerable forum asks that we state information about our gender.
This places a difficult choice for some of us---
Perhaps we are transvestites?    Perhaps we have not changed our sex but are interested in misrepresenting the truth?
Perhaps we are a married couple--standard form, male and female? 
How would we list ourselves if we were  married males or married females? 
Perhaps we think that it makes no difference if a beekeeper is male or female?
Is there anyone in the forum who would post differently if he/she knew the gender of those reading the post?
Do our bees respond differently to beekeepers of different genders? (more stings-less stings? etc)
Do the bees give better yields according to the keep's gender?
Does "gender" choice make a political statement?
Has the time come to remove the "gender" listing?
What say you all?

 

[iddee]

First, it is only an option. It's not required.

Second, I do respond differently to men then I do women. I try to soften it a bit and be a bit more explicit to women then I do men.

Yes I am still a chauvinistic pig. I think women are a bit more important then men and need to have a little more TLC and concern.

[efmesch]

I remember my "shock" when I first learned that one of the prominent administrators of the forum is of female gender.  I think she was proud to have "fooled me".  I still respond to her ON THE FORUM STAGE as I would to any male.  On the personal level it is a different story.

BTW Iddee---did my post give you any semblance of a chuckle?

[iddee]

Yes, until I assumed the admin position. Then it worried me. This is my first admin job and I am very nervous about doing the right thing.

It is all good, tho. No problem from here.

[apisbees]

In My opinion woman are better beekeepers. they have more compassion for the bees are more gentle with the bees. make better grafters of queens. the only thing they are lacking is the brute force strength. But then again that is why they married and put up with us men.

[G3farms]

In My opinion woman are better beekeepers. they have more compassion for the bees are more gentle with the bees. make better grafters of queens. the only thing they are lacking is the brute force strength. But then again that is why they married and put up with us men.

you need to watch Dee Lusby work her bees then........."brutal" comes to mind!

[G3farms]

[Perry]

I didn't watch the whole video, but to be honest with you, if I had to keep bees that way I would probably pack it in. Nothing about that looked enjoyable.

[Jen]

You Mean.... I am the first of the Female Bee Brigade to offer her opinion on this thread?... I Am Seriously Honored!

  Hmmm, where shall I start... 

  Mr. Wizard, you must be the nicest chauvinistic pig I have ever known. And frankly, I have never fully conformed to a completely liberal woman. I still appreciate having a car door opened for me. You're welcome at my house anytime, it would be wonderful to share some time with you talking bees, hunting, fishing, quilting, raising kids, helping others. And I appreciate that you take a little extra time in explaining things to me, you see I'm just a little dyslexic and I think I have a bit of ADD as well. Somehow, you seem to know just when I'm "not getting it" and you slip in there and smooth it out for me, straight forward and to the point. I appreciate that!

Apis - "In My opinion woman are better beekeepers. they have more compassion for the bees are more gentle with the bees"

   I would agree with that. I am the female beek that will see a bee on the steering wheel, let her onto my finger while I start the truck and walk her all the way back to the hive. However, I have had my moments of frustration, when going thru a hive and finding that 'Yet, a third queen has been off'd' and they are making ANOTHER ONE! Right there is my moment of truth and I find my self swearing like a truck driver and putting the hive back together in not so much a gentle manner, telling the girls to "Please Make Up Your Minds Ladies!

Mkay, eh hem, where was I....

Oh yes, I'm going to watch G3's vid on Dee Lusby, and I'll follow up a little later 

FOLLOW UP: Interesting how she works the hives like I've seen commercial beeks with 2,000 hives work. This is not a love affair, it's a job, so treat it thusly. I noted that by the time she was in her 6th hive, I would have been still working on my 1st hive, carefully and observing everything, and hoping that I find something very cool or curious to share on the forum 

[riverbee]

"I remember my "shock" when I first learned that one of the prominent administrators of the forum is of female gender.  I think she was proud to have "fooled me".  I still respond to her ON THE FORUM STAGE as I would to any male.  On the personal level it is a different story."

ef, thanks for your post. i truly value your friendship and your experience as a beekeeper.....male or female.........   and am not proud to have fooled anyone.   i am somewhat of a private person, although maybe vocal from time to time......   i like to have some anonymity on the internet.  also, it does not matter to me someone elses life style, this makes no difference to me. what matters to me is what we all come together for and that is sharing our experience/knowledge about beekeeping and helping others, or learning something for ourselves from others.  no one will ever convince me they know all about keeping bees, but i sure learn a great deal from the seasoned keeps like yourself,  iddee, jack, apis, tec, etc..........
i learn from everyone!  situations arise from all of us and something to be learned in every post.

gender..........does it matter? i have found that sometimes folks can discount what females might have to say even with equal experience. i see that here from time to time in posts .  beekeeping is a predominantly male dominated field.  look at our stats here on the forum, you will find the guys outnumber the gals by a great percent. 

i don't need any tlc or extra concern as iddee mentioned, (but understand what he said) just the consideration and respect from other beeks for the experience and knowledge that i possess and my willingness to help others along in keeping bees, pass on what i know, or think i know........
that's all that counts for me, i enjoy helping others, meeting beeks across the planet, (thanks to iddee and thanks to rat) and i enjoy this forum greatly.

thank you ef

[apisbees]

That's not being brutal I bounce hives around more than that. Ever bounce bees out of honey supers to get rid of most then sweep the remaining? https://youtu.be/aNNbjvmHDLw
I would of split the 2 brood chambers and looked up from the bottom to look at and for the brood, and swarm cells would be seen if any were present. rather than pulling a brood frame out of the middle of the super and forcing it back down.
My grandmother was rough when it came to looking at the hives, she never got any stings but any one out in the yard when she was working the bees would get it.

[Jen]

"My grandmother was rough when it came to looking at the hives, she never got any stings but any one out in the yard when she was working the bees would get it"   ....

And, "rather than pulling a brood frame out of the middle of the super and forcing it back down.

    Yeeeaah, I thought the same thing, I think I'm so careful of not smashing or losing the queen is why I take so long to go thru a hive. BUT! when I do locate her, I move along more quickly

[apisbees]

I see healthy brood in a hive and that is as far as I need to go into the brood nest. I don't spend a lot of time looking for a queen when I know that the brood in the hive would not be there with out her.
With her inspection technique she uses weight of supers to determine if more supers are needed. The area of the super the bees are covering and moving unused or undrawn frames in to the center. And a look at the top of the 2nd brood box, and weight to determine if they are honey bound and need a super to expand the brood chamber. This is something I think to many beekeepers fail to do is making sure the queen has adequate space to lay in.

[Les]

Dee is in Texas, correct?  I wonder if she has Africanized bees?

No feelings about whether or not someone reflects their gender.  It does not take long to figure out someone's gender by reading their posts anyway.  Also, no need to address women differently than a man, we are not fragile little flowers LOL!  Treating everyone with nice manners should just be the norm, gender has nothing to do with that.

[Jen]

Yup! Here's to ya Les 

Yup! "Also, no need to address women differently than a man, we are not fragile little flowers LOL   

[lazy shooter]

Iddee and I were brought up in a different era.  Our father's taught us to be courteous to all, but to especially be courteous to women.  We placed all women on a pedestal.  Some women now think of that as being condescending.  That is fine with me, but I am not going to change who I am to align myself with some unhappy political correctness zealot.

I sometimes hear people refer to the "men's world."  I think the men's world has long gone, and I was never a staunch believer in it.  Women have now entered the "men's world," and I say, "welcome aboard and more power to them."  To me, it's not a gender thing, It's can you do it?  We say in the oil patch, "there are just two can't.  If you can't do it, you can't stay."

My wife has long since worked in a man's world, and I love her for it.  To those women that come into my world, the oil patch, I say: "get your big girls pants on and come on down.  If you make it, I will work with you, and if not, it's not my fault."

[neillsayers]

  I was raised in the Deep Deep South. If I didn't hold a door or offer my seat to a lady my ancestors would rise from the grave and throttle me!

Neill

[iddee]

""we are not fragile little flowers""

I disagree. They are like butter cups. Able to bloom even in the snow, but still hold their beauty and deserve admiring, enjoying, and taking care of.

So there. Like LS, I'm not changing my old, set ways. Women are still special, even if they are tougher than me.   

[efmesch]

What all of you are saying is all fine and dandy---but You haven't been answering the question---"Has the time come to remove the "gender" listing?"  or perhaps allow a double listing of gender for couples?  :eusa_think:

[iddee]

As in my first post, it is voluntary. I think it should stay, but not be mandatory. Those who want to use it can, those who don't, don't have to.
As for couples, Marion and Ward each have their own account. I think that is important. I would like to know who is posting.

That's my opinion.