2021 Annual hive count - Beebase.

[Murox]

Rather shamefully depressing figures from the 2021 Hive count from Beebase; just 9000 keepers out of 46,000 registered keepers bothered to update the annual hive count details recently. Makes it all seem rather irrelevant and meaningless to me.

 

[Apiarisnt]

Rather shamefully depressing figures from the 2021 Hive count from Beebase; just 9000 keepers out of 46,000 registered keepers bothered to update the annual hive count details recently. Makes it all seem rather irrelevant and meaningless to me.

The NBU's qualifier " It is necessary to make a number of assumptions in the calculation, and so the figure is classed as an experimental statistic. " is telling , and the figure of 272,631 colonies suggests spurious six figure precision.

Nevertheless, the figures, or the NBU's assumptions, would suggest that in the UK we have almost six colonies per beekeeper, which from memory would indicate an increasing trend. Nevertheless, we in the UK are still way, way behind the rest of Europe. See attached.

To put it politely, but nonetheless literally, we are a bunch of amateurs in the UK

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

just 9000 keepers out of 46,000 registered keepers bothered to update the annual hive count details recently

but many probably didn't need to 'update' their accounts so didn't think about replying to the questionnaire once again

 

[JamezF]

Nevertheless, we in the UK are still way, way behind the rest of Europe. See attached.

What's the largest one in that document? EL? The only EU country I can think of that doesn't appear to be represented in the rest of the chart is Greece, but EL isn't a country code I associate with Greece.

James

 

[Boston Bees]

What's the largest one in that document? EL? The only EU country I can think of that doesn't appear to be represented in the rest of the chart is Greece, but EL isn't a country code I associate with Greece.

James

Interinstitutional style guide – ‘EU-27 and candidate countries’ (europa.eu)

 

[JamezF]

Aha! Thank you I guess it comes from the Latin transliteration of the Greek form of the country name, Elláda. Somehow I don't think I'd have worked that connection out by myself

James

 

[Monbees]

Aha! Thank you I guess it comes from the Latin transliteration of the Greek form of the country name, Elláda. Somehow I don't think I'd have worked that connection out by myself

James

What an erudite forum this is!

 

[Newbeeneil]

What an erudite forum this is!

what does erudite mean?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

what does erudite mean?

It's a hybrid between tippex and araldite - used to permanently correct errors

 

[Murox]

Yes this forum demonstrates an impressive range of erudition.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Yes this forum demonstrates an impressive range of erudition.

and knowledge too

 

[JamezF]

I thought Araldite was the Greek goddess of adhesives.

James

 

[Murox]

and knowledge too

Ah ha, things like facts and ideas gained through investigation, observation, and experience.

 

[Murox]

It's a hybrid between tippex and araldite - used to permanently correct errors

....and the Wedmore factor??

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

....and the Wedmore factor??

nothing a good sledge hammer won't fix

 

[0bee-1]

"Nevertheless, the figures, or the NBU's assumptions, would suggest that in the UK we have almost six colonies per beekeeper, which from memory would indicate an increasing trend. Nevertheless, we in the UK are still way, way behind the rest of Europe. See attached.

To put it politely, but nonetheless literally, we are a bunch of amateurs in the UK"

I wonder whether this has something to do with the more agrarian economies that still exist in some of the southern EU member states. Do some govenments support their beekeeping industries through grant aid or subsidy via EU? that would make a difference along with warmer spring/summers?
the top 8 are:
Greece
Spain
Romania
Cyprus !
PO Portugal? (not Poland PL)
Bulgaria
Croatia
and... Hungary

v interesting thanks for posting @Apiarisnt

Steve

 

[Newbeeneil]

"Nevertheless, the figures, or the NBU's assumptions, would suggest that in the UK we have almost six colonies per beekeeper, which from memory would indicate an increasing trend. Nevertheless, we in the UK are still way, way behind the rest of Europe. See attached.

To put it politely, but nonetheless literally, we are a bunch of amateurs in the UK"

I wonder whether this has something to do with the more agrarian economies that still exist in some of the southern EU member states. Do some govenments support their beekeeping industries through grant aid or subsidy via EU? that would make a difference along with warmer spring/summers?
the top 8 are:
Greece
Spain
Romania
Cyprus !
PO Portugal? (not Poland PL)
Bulgaria
Croatia
and... Hungary

v interesting thanks for posting @Apiarisnt

Steve

Yes the better weather would seem to be a significant factor but I also think that them all being less densely populated also allows more beekeepers the room to keep more bees!

 

[JamezF]

Yes the better weather would seem to be a significant factor but I also think that them all being less densely populated also allows more beekeepers the room to keep more bees!

Very true. There are areas where the population of the UK is exceptionally dense

I think your point may be quite valid though. Obviously some countries have areas where it may not be practical to keep bees or even to live, but just considering land area alone, this table claims that of countries with a population over eight million, the UK is the 15th most densely populated. I'd never thought to look that up before and I have to admit I'm slightly shocked.

James

 

[Murox]

Yes the better weather would seem to be a significant factor but I also think that them all being less densely populated also allows more beekeepers the room to keep more bees!

Tend to agree with that, what I noticed living on mainland europe for a while was that there was more space/area/ground available for (living) beekeeping generally except in the most built up densely populated areas. I do wonder how much influence the UK's practice of bunching up/building in pockets/clumps has had on the available forage overall. Its noticeable that in UK most land beyond the bounds of a village is virtually 'no-go' and frequently "arable or agricultural dessert". The ribbon development trend I saw in europe seemed to favour a greater variety and expanse/area of potential forage.

 

[JamezF]

"arable or agricultural dessert"

Apologies, but the typo made me chuckle. I assume that's what you eat after a Ploughman's

James