AFB

[Heather]

Wow, first time ever that I hear of AFB in my area... Uckfield East Sussex.. bee inspector being great at checking all as fast as possible. Such a worry. Hope all you guys out there have registered your hives with bee base so they can be checked too. Only takes one to be anonymous to cause chaos for us.

 

[pargyle]

Wow, first time ever that I hear of AFB in my area... Uckfield East Sussex.. bee inspector being great at checking all as fast as possible. Such a worry. Hope all you guys out there have registered your hives with bee base so they can be checked too. Only takes one to be anonymous to cause chaos for us.

Good luck Heather ... every beekeeper's nightmare ...

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes, Good luck. I would be sick with worry
I gather the inspectorate are leaning towards destruction for EFB too.
All you can do is your best I suppose

 

[beeno]

Fingers crossed for you.

 

[Apple]

Contaminated Super Market Honey has been suspected as the cause of the Enfield outbreak of AFB.
There is absolutely nothing so horrible as having to destroy a colony of bees and have to burn and bury all the brood, honey combs everything.Even if you do have "insurance" the compensation is minimal!

 

[GuyNir]

Aye, fingers crossed.
I had EFB this year and shook swarmed 6 colonies, awful. I got the all clear mid Aug, then learned of confirmed EFB 1/2mi away a week ago

 

[Apple]

Aye, fingers crossed.
I had EFB this year and shook swarmed 6 colonies, awful. I got the all clear mid Aug, then learned of confirmed EFB 1/2mi away a week ago

What can you do?
Swarms from an "infected area" being sold to novices for £100 in this neck of the woods this season, beginners who to be fair would probably not have the experience to spot EFB, and when the inspector calls the colony has faded away... or swarmed!

Controversial I know, but I believe a compulsory nation wide registration scheme for all beekeeping stock, would go towards some sort of control of these devastating diseases.
They can do it for pigs so why not bees????

 

[pargyle]

Controversial I know, but I believe a compulsory nation wide registration scheme for all beekeeping stock, would go towards some sort of control of these devastating diseases.
They can do it for pigs so why not bees????

Oh my ... tin hat on ... personally I would not mind a national register of beekeepers but ... the reality is those that register would almost certainly be those who are conscientious ... the ones that would not register are those are the potential problem. It's a bit like national ID cards - the ones who don't mind are the ones who have nothing to hide ...

I'm a little to the right of Ghengis Khan when it comes to civil liberties ... I believe that criminals should be given the benefit of the doubt on the first offence, it's a mistake and everyone makes them.. Second offence - that's a really poor of judgement and should be censured. Third time ....

They get a bar code forcibly tattooed on their forehead so we all know who they are and they can be easily identified when they do it again !

I'll not describe what the fourth offence results in ...

 

[Erichalfbee]

Oh my ... tin hat on ... personally I would not mind a national register of beekeepers but ... the reality is those that register would almost certainly be those who are conscientious ... the ones that would not register are those are the potential problem. It's a bit like national ID cards - the ones who don't mind are the ones who have nothing to hide ...

I'm a little to the right of Ghengis Khan when it comes to civil liberties ... I believe that criminals should be given the benefit of the doubt on the first offence, it's a mistake and everyone makes them.. Second offence - that's a really poor of judgement and should be censured. Third time ....

They get a bar code forcibly tattooed on their forehead so we all know who they are and they can be easily identified when they do it again !

I'll not describe what the fourth offence results in ...

Bit like this forum, then?

 

[MuswellMetro]

In some countries who have compulsory registration, your registration number has to be on your honey label or you cannot sell it

 

[Curly green finger's]

Oh my ... tin hat on ... personally I would not mind a national register of beekeepers but ... the reality is those that register would almost certainly be those who are conscientious ... the ones that would not register are those are the potential problem. It's a bit like national ID cards - the ones who don't mind are the ones who have nothing to hide ...

I'm a little to the right of Ghengis Khan when it comes to civil liberties ... I believe that criminals should be given the benefit of the doubt on the first offence, it's a mistake and everyone makes them.. Second offence - that's a really poor of judgement and should be censured. Third time ....

They get a bar code forcibly tattooed on their forehead so we all know who they are and they can be easily identified when they do it again !

I'll not describe what the fourth offence results in ...

Second offence - that's a really poor of judgement and should be censured. Third time bee venom will get used.
your to generous in your elder years my friend. No fourth.

 

[beeno]

Oh my ... tin hat on ... personally I would not mind a national register of beekeepers but ... the reality is those that register would almost certainly be those who are conscientious ... the ones that would not register are those are the potential problem. It's a bit like national ID cards - the ones who don't mind are the ones who have nothing to hide ...

I'm a little to the right of Ghengis Khan when it comes to civil liberties ... I believe that criminals should be given the benefit of the doubt on the first offence, it's a mistake and everyone makes them.. Second offence - that's a really poor of judgement and should be censured. Third time ....

They get a bar code forcibly tattooed on their forehead so we all know who they are and they can be easily identified when they do it again !

I'll not describe what the fourth offence results in ...

Considering that we are on CCTV continuously I do not have a problem with registration to protect the bee population. EFB and AFB are not easily recognised by many conscientious beekeepers either until they are well down the line. Let's not stigmatise beekeepers on a/c of their bees having disease as it may go unreported then. First time offence = first time getting caught in many cases.

 

[Brian Bush]

I strongly believe all hives should be compulsory registered. A large fine for keeping an unregistered hive. I really get annoyed when someone starts banging on about their 'human rights' to do as they please. The rights of the majority should take preference. No-one should have the right to keep unregistered bees that may endanger those of others. You cannot keep other livestock without passports and I do not think Hive/Apiary registration is too much to ask.

 

[Murox]

Oh my ... tin hat on ... personally I would not mind a national register of beekeepers but ... the reality is those that register would almost certainly be those who are conscientious ... the ones that would not register are those are the potential problem. It's a bit like national ID cards - the ones who don't mind are the ones who have nothing to hide ...

I'm a little to the right of Ghengis Khan when it comes to civil liberties ... I believe that criminals should be given the benefit of the doubt on the first offence, it's a mistake and everyone makes them.. Second offence - that's a really poor of judgement and should be censured. Third time ....

They get a bar code forcibly tattooed on their forehead so we all know who they are and they can be easily identified when they do it again !

I'll not describe what the fourth offence results in ...

I think that rather sums it all up. Another issue might be who would and how would such a register would be enforced. Perhaps the jingoistic members of the BBKA ?

Maybe a simple NFC (near field contact) chip injected in an arm would suffice - cheaper to remove after a period of P&P (punishment and persecution).

 

[Apple]

There has been a wild colony of honeybees living contentedly in the bell tower of Kelliwick's Parish church for many years... now who (on Earth) would the registered beekeeper be for them??

There has been some discussion that registration on BEEBASE will be compulsory for membership to some BKAs

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think that rather sums it all up. Another issue might be who would and how would such a register would be enforced. Perhaps the jingoistic members of the BBKA ?

That's the last thing you'd want.
Take leisure sailing as an example, the RYA is a much more competent and professional mob than the BBKA (albeit still full of WAFI's with jaunty Breton caps and coffee mugs with 'skipper' stencilled on them) and some of their qualifications now have official recognition worldwide however they have no part in the enforcement etc. of tickets that is still firmly in the hands of the MCA

 

[Apple]

That's the last thing you'd want.
Take leisure sailing as an example, the RYA is a much more competent and professional mob than the BBKA (albeit still full of WAFI's with jaunty Breton caps and coffee mugs with 'skipper' stencilled on them) and some of their qualifications now have official recognition worldwide however they have no part in the enforcement etc. of tickets that is still firmly in the hands of the MCA

BBKA seems to be full of Wind AFI's.... not me I've now got a Wayfarer with a 2hp Tohatsu!!!... and despite having 20000leagues under my Sou'Westers...(and YachtMasters) would not dream of calling meself a Master Mariner
Chons da

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

I strongly believe all hives should be compulsory registered. A large fine for keeping an unregistered hive. I really get annoyed when someone starts banging on about their 'human rights' to do as they please. The rights of the majority should take preference. No-one should have the right to keep unregistered bees that may endanger those of others. You cannot keep other livestock without passports and I do not think Hive/Apiary registration is too much to ask.

Oh the administration! As swarms get hived, colonies are united, colonies abscond, bait hives are populated etc etc
The BBKA would have a meltdown

 

[Apple]

Oh the administration! As swarms get hived, colonies are united, colonies abscond, bait hives are populated etc etc
The BBKA would have a meltdown

To be fair... how many beekeepers in the UK do the BBKA represent.... my guess would be something less than 50%.... Any administrative registration would need to be made Law and run by something like APHA... perhaps a fee could be charged per colony to pay for the inspectorate?
Discount for Beefarmer's of course!!!

Chons da

 

[madasafish]

Oh the administration! As swarms get hived, colonies are united, colonies abscond, bait hives are populated etc etc
The BBKA would have a meltdown

The BBKA membership is c 25,000.

There are approx 44,000 amateur beekeepers in the UK (Some will be members of the Scottish, Welsh and Irish BKAs.)

So the BBKA represents approx 57% of total beekeepers known in UK.

Many of the more senior beekeepers are both BBKA and also BIBBA members..
During lockdown BIBBA have been producing a large numbers of Zoom videos on bees ranging from outright propaganda and crap to quite good..
The BBKA may have produced some but I have seen none advertised.
The main protagonists on the BIBBA videos has been prominent BBKA members.



SO in lockdown, the BBKA have been by comparison utterly silent and reduced to the printed magazine..

As far as enforcing hive registration, who could do it?

No-one...The Bee Inspectors are summer only and tied up with Asian Hornets...

Given economics, more heads would be needed.to enforce. The Government will not pay..
Will the BBKA? They would have to increase subscription costs. Say 10 new BIs. at £20k each over 25k members Plus computer systems etc. Subscriptions go up at least £10 per year - approx 30% for an organisation which cannot issue a Zoom video in lockdown... And guess what? BBKA members don't pay.

Ain't going to work.

Pie in the sky.