association apiaries outside of boundries

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Queen Bee
Joined
Jul 28, 2008
Messages
6,344
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Location
Hampshire uk
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
6
I have noticed that a few association apiaries are outside of their area boundries.
Some tend to be well within another local association demographics.

Does anyone think that a local beekeeping apiary should be within the local area,or is it ok to tread on the toes of the group next door,or even further afield ?

I am asking because I have noticed a few apiaries have exploded with extra hives due to the latest demands causing the local beeks to struggle for forage due to the competition from outside associations sighting main apiaries.

Your thoughts:
 
I guess it goes to what you think the objective is for the existence of associations. Isn't it all, in the end, for the benefit of the bees?

After all, I found I couldn't get on to a local beekeeping course so had to take a course out of my area, then joined the association that ran the course cos they helped me a lot straight after the course. And now I keep bees out of their area, but I find my loyalty stays with the distant association ...
 
I suppose the competition for forage plus the attempt to keep some sort of purity in ones bees will always be an issue :cuss:.
I'm a radio ham ,similar restrictions apply .
The last thing you need is a fellow ham moving in close by ;).
Proximity swamping , co-channel interference, neighbours communication equipment suffering from interference that is of course blamed on you :cuss:.
Thankfully the beekeeper population in my area causes me no problems :) .
Likewise our out apiary is relatively isolated
However my immediate neighbour turns out to be a ham , thankfully a knowledgeable one !.

John Wilkinson
 
I am a member of X BKA. Y, a neighbouring BKA, have set up a small (4 hives) teaching Apiary in woodland 100 metres from my site in my field. They are 20 miles away from their county line!!!!!
I spoke to the chap who actually tends the hives and he tells me that he has six other out apiaries. Quite frankly I wish he'd sling his hook!
X BKA members are always muttering about pincer movements.
 
Now there's an idea! EU Foraging rights. Traded a bit like the old milk quota or single farm payments. Let's not go down that road. I would rather tolerate a little bit of competition along the hedgerows - we are way way below saturation level in this country so it's rarely a significant problem.
 
I recently found out a neighbouring association has a queen rearing apiary with several hives near my rural apiary. I checked the distance on google maps and it came to .74 of a mile.
In the local area of approx 1 - 1.5 miles, I believe there is about 15 hives but after raising 6 queens.

1 was lost during mating
4 became drone layers
1 went on to become a great queen

The total number of local hives should give a strong drone population and improve the chances of successful mating but I'm left wondering if the queen rearing apiary attracts the vast majority of the mature drones to their area if they spend the spring and summer months churning out queens.
bee-smillie

Despite that, I have done well for honey this year all things considering so approx 15 hives in the local area isn't a major factor in my rural apiary.
 
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Way Below Saturation

Now there's an idea! EU Foraging rights. Traded a bit like the old milk quota or single farm payments. Let's not go down that road. I would rather tolerate a little bit of competition along the hedgerows - we are way way below saturation level in this country so it's rarely a significant problem.

Iv just read in the telegraph that their are 50% less hives in Britain than twenty years ago
 
And about 80% less foraging.

Hence the research needed into the waggle dance.....communication among bee's could be breaking down
 
communication among bee's could be breaking down

Not enough mobile phones to go round?

Regards, RAB
 
I am a member of X BKA. Y, a neighbouring BKA, have set up a small (4 hives) teaching Apiary in woodland 100 metres from my site in my field. They are 20 miles away from their county line!!!!!
I spoke to the chap who actually tends the hives and he tells me that he has six other out apiaries. Quite frankly I wish he'd sling his hook!
X BKA members are always muttering about pincer movements.

Let me guess, his surname starts with a W.
 
A person should be aloud to join any association they desire and keep bees where they desire. I joined an association outside of my area because at the time that was the nearest association I could find. Since I have got in to beekeeping I now know of others closer. However my association are a great bunch of folk, so why would I leave? I wouldnt, simple. Also I dont keep bees in the assocation area and I dont keep bees in the area I live in either. I keep them 13miles away from me in the other direction to the assocation I have joined.

At the end of the day. I have the support of a great bunch of people who keep bees. I aint bothered what colours they fly.
 
rather difficult in our area

as they have changed the county boundaries of the old county of Hertfordshire and the old county of Middlesex s and made london boroughs

so the barent BKA in the Unitary london Borough of Barnet started out in Hertfordshire but now covers large parts of the old county of Middlesex and Enfield BKA int he london Borough of Enfield would have covered north Middlesex now have a large area it doesn't cover that is now in Hertfordshire

And yes Barnet &D BKA though associate member of Hertfordshire BKA in now in Greater London not in Hertfordshire

Confused :D:D well we are;

The result is an allotment group of Beekeepers in this area has members from Middlesex (North London) BKA, Middlesex ( Enfield) and Hertfordshire ( Barnet & District)

And margo who in on this forum is a member of Enfield but lives in Barnet though north London's apiary is nearer to her than either Barnet's or Enfield's apiaries

and i live in Barnet but it used to be Middlesex and and my Bees are in Barnet (i pass Margos house to get to them) However Enfield's beginners course takes place in a school 100 yds from my house

even more confused ,yes:willy_nilly:

so to get to the main point : have we out apiaries in other BKA's areas , yes in near St albans for OSR in a farm but with the agreement of st albans BKA who area it now is, but used to be middlesex but not now covered by Middlesex ( Enfield BKA) as it is now in hertfordshire area

hope that clear as mud

Do the association talk, well not really, just muddle along with just the occasional invite to meetings,:party:x:biggrinjester:
 
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I have noticed that a few association apiaries are outside of their area boundries.
Some tend to be well within another local association demographics.

Does anyone think that a local beekeeping apiary should be within the local area,or is it ok to tread on the toes of the group next door,or even further afield ?

I am asking because I have noticed a few apiaries have exploded with extra hives due to the latest demands causing the local beeks to struggle for forage due to the competition from outside associations sighting main apiaries.

Your thoughts:

excuse my iggerence admin, but how did you come by the info on association apiary locations?

is this something freely available on tinternet?

:confused:
 
It strikes me that the problem is not really Associations or their geographic locations, boundaries as such but rather the siting of hives.
I suspect that the problem is that there are relatively few good locations for hives, ones that are free of the public with good road access, close to urban centres (a lot of beeks are urbanites after all) and within three miles of good forage. The result is that all the local beeks end up in more or less the same area, leaving large parts of the countryside barren of hives (though maybe not bees).
Perhaps the hive database could be used to plot hives and a limit placed on a certain density of hives. Then you would not find another beek setting up a 15 hive apiary 200 yards away. There are problems with this, not all hives registered, etc etc. But a factor in its favour would be disease control.
 
Disease control.....................

Ah yes that handy stick.

PH
 
excuse my iggerence admin, but how did you come by the info on association apiary locations?

is this something freely available on tinternet?

:confused:

No its top secret,If I told you I would have to !"£$%&()
 
Isn't there a link on the BBKA site?

Are there beekeeping associaltions that are no longer affiliated to the BBKA??
 

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