with Dann Purvis, The Bee Man
We approach beekeeping in a different way than most as you will see. Our goal is to bring what we have learned over the years to you in a way that is not confusing but enlightening and uplifting. If a beekeeper strictly follows what is taught today in most books, Universities, clinics, etc. the results are usually a pile of used expensive equipment full of wax moth minus bees or honey stacked up in storage and, unfortunately, a potential new beekeeper that is on his way out of beekeeping instead of staying in. The same results occur if a beekeeper uses old time techniques today. Over the years I’ve witnessed way too many lost hopes, dreams and dollars because of some hype and greed in this business. My family and I will give you our word-we don’t do that. Our reputation among beekeepers that have purchased our queens or product and been in our classes will testify to this.
“The bottom line is,we are about SURVIVAL of both bees and beekeepers.”
We believe that to survive in this hobby, sideline, or business-you must not only just have bees, but be able to keep them alive without harsh chemicals, be able to harvest one or two products from the hive and most importantly enrich you and your family’s life instead of draining from it. My wife, four sons and I have done exactly that for two decades. We have passed our experiences onto many others over the years. I have mentored several other successful beekeepers over the years and this web site will extend those successes.
In the past, we have gone into unexplored areas and researched new concepts and new ideas. We are known as innovators and out of box beekeepers. Things like “breeding a better mite” (balanced host/parasite relationship strategy in which we developed and put into practice), “Purvis Brothers Breeding Program resulting in one of the most genetically diverse honeybee populations in North America according to the largest Mtdna assay done to date by a major University”, this was Patent strategy work that protected all beekeepers from large corporate interests and resulted in a line of bee-The “Purvis Goldline” famous for its ability to survive. The genetics for the Goldline Queen is still sought by many. We designed, developed or improved upon specialized equipment not only for queen production but for the hive and 21st century beekeeping survival tactics. These are just a few concepts, ideas or real items that we brought to the industry and are now considered the norm. I’m not meaning to brag but this is the time to talk a little about what beekeeping has done for us and what we have done for beekeeping. There is much, much more that this short write up cannot tell. As this site develops over time, it will come out. It will be fun and very informative.
Like all true creative research and development endeavors, we have had some things go the way we wanted and some things go the way we did not expect. When I was younger and more hot-headed, I did not take these “unexpected” adventures well-to say the least. I made some enemies because I simply did not have the time to waste or the social skills to maneuver around the egos involved. And believe me, in this industry/hobby I have never experienced any occupation or career field that is more filled with ego and opinion. I recognized that in myself also a few years ago and have, hopefully, made adequate changes, in myself so that I will be able to offer more people what I have been given freely, or acquired through pain or adversity. In any event, I thank God, my family, my friends and even my past foes for their support and/or contribution. –Dann Purvis, The Bee Man