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April nucs 2009 without queens?

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mikethebee

House Bee
Joined
Nov 24, 2008
Messages
331
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Location
Gloucestershire uk
Hive Type
None
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I?m telling members all this because there are well known BBKA members that think it?s wrong to import Queens! I have nothing to hide everything is legal and above board.
They seem to think we should all breed are own QUEENS in this country.
Absolute rubbish and would be imposable.
We imported over 2,000 queens last year, 200/300 a time every week picked up from the airport, right up to AUGUST.
The queens came from Macedonia very good excellent Queens but limited supply,
Slovenia. The delivery is on time excellent service these have proved themselves,
Both are breed from our breeder queens, We can work in tee shirt & shorts as witnessed by 100s of beekeepers that has visited us. ?Comments welcome?
We did try late in the season breeding a few queen cells but the queens were a complete waste of time.
We also tried;
France 300 queens absolute rubbish never again,
Spain 50 queen?s Very bad temper.
Wolfgang singer 50 queens undecided (spring will tell)
We are over-wintering this year700 nucs in 16 frame hives, this is for April orders ONLY,
On top of that we have 580 B.S.Nationals we can split if the need be.
200 langstroth we can use for shaking bees into nucs
NOW AS YOU KNOW I am have been banned from putting my website on the post you will have ask who the mystery supplier is
 
Mike you copied this post from the bbka forum but forgot to remove the last sentence :laughing-smiley-004
 
Sounds like Fosters will soon announce increased profits for the fourth quarter!
:cheers2:
Norton.
 
Hi

I think importing bees (Queens) is fine. If the rules allow and you follow them to the letter great go for it. If it needs to be stopped we need to change the law.

What I do think is not right is mis-representation. When some one thinks they are buying a UK queen and it is imported. I am happy with either but I must be told what I am buying. It is then my choice.

Some nuc sellers in the UK have blatantly abused this. They need to advertise what it is. Not what they think people want to hear.

Also overwintered imported queens are not suddenly UK bread unless they superceeded etc and had a new queen hatched in the UK..

W
 
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Very good points you have Wendy,I agree.

I have seen that many uk Queen sellers only advertise the strain of bee you are buying and you have to delve deep to find out the country of origin.

Take an Italian Queen as an example,throughout the season they are imported from greece to Nex Zealand,how do you know what the country of origin is when even the supplier is not sure who will have the right stock at the right time to import.
 
With importing queens they also arrive with workers to look after the queen.

Please just consider the following:

How did the arrival of Varroa mite come to this country?

It has not been proven but the most likely cause is through importation of queens into this country from abroad.

What's to say the same thing won't happen concerning Small Hive Beetle and Tropilaelaps clarae also Melittiphis.

Then we really would be in for a hard time.

Please don't say I won't happen because we trust the breeders of queens etc. Queen rearing is big business.

I am not advocating not buying imported queens but sooner than later something will manifest itself.

Regards;
 
photos to make you sit up and realise every one got a imported queen in, inclouding the white posting boxs
look closely and you will see the brown envalope with instructions stuck on the top
all the best mike
 
Bcrazy
What?s to say we dont get the dreaded lerigee as well,
May I put it to you my friend that last year there were so many hives lost that if it were not for us commercial bee breeders there would be nowt left. Then you would have summit to moan at. That?s not bull-S it?s a fact.
READ MY POST
You have to have a import permit first.
That it would not be possible to import SHB in queen cages.
Then you have a Gov bill of health from the seller. AFB EFB SHB ETC.
Then you have your bees inspected at the airport Quarantine.
Then you should have your Queens /paperwork inspected by the local bee inspector
There is a thing called security checks.
I have nothing to hide everything is legal and above board.
imported queens/package bees (Theirs more illegally Queens being bought in by hobbyist they are the folk to blame if any bugs comes in, example I was talking other day to a fellow that was adamant we should bring in the African killer bee because he had read it was varroa resistant 3 hives and keeping bees 5 years)
QUOT
Please just consider the following:
How did the arrival of Varroa mite come to this country? Brother Adam? Torbay

It has not been proven but the most likely cause is through importation of queens into this country from abroad. agreed Torbay

What's to say the same thing won't happen concerning Small Hive Beetle and Tropilaelaps clarae also Melittiphis. We are more advanced in beekeeping nowadays at custumes airports policeing both sides.

Then we really would be in for a hard time. Agreed
Please don't say I won't happen because we trust the breeders of queens etc. Queen rearing is big business. ITS NOT THE BREEDERS OR BUYER IT?S THE SYSTEM AND RULES that broken by hobbiest
I am not advocating not buying imported queens but sooner than later something will manifest itself.
Think about it if we could produce the queens commercially in the UK we would,
I bloody tried for 8 years cost me loads wasted time and money.
Never mind the BBKA are talking about doing summit thay might spend some of that dosh from Bayrol

all the best mike
 
Hello, hello earth calling mikethebee - please advise your altitude.

Regards;
 
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