At the beginning of my beekeeping experiences I wondered if I had ventured into a rewarding endeavor. My brother Alfred never had any doubt of the selection to be a lifetime keeper of the bees.
My sensitivity to the venom of bee stings was severe in the beginning. The accidental stings on my wrists caused my hands and arms to swell making handling beehive tools painful and awkward. Both my eyelids were swollen nearly blotting out sight. Mr. Foster said to his wife Ruth, "I'm not sure if Harold will make it, but he is a gritty person and seems determined to succeed."
The plants and animals of Oregon were unfamiliar to me. When I accidentally slipped on a prickly pear cactus cluster my coworkers used wire pliers to remove the sharp needles from the seat of my pants! That was amusing to them. I had a hot seat! I also learned that porcupines were animals that had spiny needles which could gradually penetrate thick leather boots! Rattlesnakes were timid, but when threatened they would coil into a defensive striking position. Their venom could be deadly to their victims!
Another mystery to me was how bees could extract sweet tasteful honey from apparent dry sagebrush and wild buckwheat plants. I soon learned many lessons about honeybee behavior and their organized division of labor that keep each colony a self-sufficient community. Gradually the allergic reactions to bee stings became unnoticeable. Now I would rather receive a bee sting than a mosquito bite.
By accepting my wages in honey at wholesale price lots, I acquired a nest egg for college expenses. I packaged the honey in small retail containers. When I needed funds I went house to house selling at retail prices. In this way I paid most of my college expenses. While at Oregon State College I enrolled in a Public Speaking class. I chose "Bugs" for the title of my speech. During the speech I told my classmates that some of my friends called me "Bugs" because I was enrolled in entomology. I demonstrated to the class and instructor with live bees how harmless honey bees can be when handled properly. I held the attention of everyone in the classroom! I pointed out the difference of honey bees and other insects particularly when compared to the true bug family. Every class member sat on the edge of their chair. Each of them wrote a favorable critique about my speech. The instructor gave me an "A" grade. He pointed out to the class that my talk had covered every element of good public speaking. He used it as a model in his teaching for many years.
One pretty Tri Delta co-ed wrote in my notebook, "I don't think you are 'Bugs'. You can call me for a date anytime." At that time in my life I was frightened of girls, especially redheaded ones with brown eyes and a sweet smile.
Editor's note: Doc Wood continued his beekeeping hobby after his retirement as a veterinarian, when he was in his eighties. Read his advice about beekeeping and photos in The Joys Of Beekeeping.
© Copyright 1997 Harold Wm. Wood
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