BBC2 Springwatch 8pm June 4th

[Brosville]

they announced last night that tonight's programme will feature a section on "the problems with bees" - let's hope it isn't "the gospel according to the BBKA"..........

 

[Nellie]

Are you able to post anything that isn't a thinly veiled barbed comment at the BBKA? It's quite tiresome.

Can we just have a forum called "Shaking my fist at the Sky" where you can go and spout out about the injustices to the world inflicted by the BBKA and leave the rest of us to talk about bees?

 

[Widdershins]

OOo, will have to either watch or record that one - bit busy this week so havent had a chance to watch any TV.

Thanks for letting us know!

 

[Brosville]

Well, perhaps some people haven't noticed it, but there appear to be two sorts of programmes about bees - the good ones, like the excellent documentary by Martha Kearney, and those that trot out the tiresome pro-chemical, "couldn't possibly be anything to do with "icides" line from the brown-enveloped brigade - I notice the distinction, and make no apology for pointing it out.
The day a certain association publicly disassociates itself from the likes of Bayer, I may take them a teensie bit seriously, and stop having the occasional and very well-deserved "pop" at them......
Tiresome?- nowhere near as tiresome as a whole community's good name being sold to the forces of darkness for a few coppers.......

 

[Nellie]

Funny I thought this going to be a thread about a programme on the BBC featuring bees. If I'd realised it was going to be yet another whinge about the BBKA I wouldn't have bothered reading it.

So the "good" Programmes are the ones that appear to back up the opinions that you've already formed and the "bad" are the ones that don't or feature your favourite bogeyman organisation. Gotcha.

 

[Brosville]

Not in the least......... Research should look in ALL areas, none should be proscribed as the BBKA has tried, (thankfully unsuccessfully) to do.
Up until a couple of months ago, (when the Coop made them look stupid) the "official BBKA line" was to completely avoid the prospect that "icides" could in any way be responsible for the problems that bees are suffering from - to me that looks extremely "dodgy", as they are accepting funds from a major poison purveyor (and that is being very polite!), especially in view of the excellent work being done by the like of Maryann Fraser at Penn State, which is taking a broad view of ALL potential problems.(As ANY scientific studies must do)
I personally have nothing against the vast majority of BBKA members, just the bunch of suits that sold it's reputation and credibility in a sordid little deal with their buddies in the chemical industry for a pathetically small sum!
As well as "holding views" on bees, I also have some on journalism - far too many programmes ONLY quoted the "official sanitised BBKA version" of what was happening - which is p*ss poor journalism!

 

[Nellie]

As well as "holding views" on bees, I also have some on journalism - far too many programmes ONLY quoted the "official sanitised BBKA version" of what was happening - which is p*ss poor journalism!

You reading/watching the same media as I am because I'm not seeing very much "sanitised" in its reporting at the moment, direct from the BBKA or otherwise; Chicken Little reporting maybe, and a lot of that is coming from the BBKA.

FWIW I think the BBKA taking money off Bayer for anything other than providing consultative research is stupid, it undermines their position accepting "sponsorship" from one of the largest producers of insecticides at a time when attention is being squarely focused on insecticides as a contributing factor in the problems that do exist in beekeeping. That still doesn't render null and void any opinion that they put forward as an organisation though.

None of this has much to do with presumably a 5 minute slot on springwatch that will probably focus on bumblebees anyway.

 

[jon]

Not in the least......... Research should look in ALL areas, none should be proscribed as the BBKA has tried, (thankfully unsuccessfully) to do.

brosville.
the BBKA is funding research into possible problems with neonicotinoid pesticides.
I posted you the link about 3 months ago.
Here it is again.

http://www.britishbee.org.uk/files/bbka-research-concepts.pdf

Wake up and read, and get over your dogma and preconceived ideas. You never waver in your beliefs because you wont read anything which challenges your simplistic and cosy view of the world.

 

[Nellie]

Shush, don't spoil a good rant with facts. The BBKA is obviously run by monocle wearing, moustache twirling, hollywood english bad guys who enjoy poking bees with sticks when not smoking cigars with the CEO from Bayer.

 

[Brosville]

Which was their suggestion as to how they suggested £100k of research monies should be deployed (note, not their money, THEY are funding bugg*r all, hence your claim that they are funding something is utter pish, tosh and rhubarb!) - they use such weasellisms as "working out methodologies", and the work to be done "in concert with" the manufacturers of such toxins (no chance of any bias there then!) - all the while they continue to accept funds from Bayer and Syngenta, and will continue to strongarm the continuation of such a disreputable tie-up.
I am somewhat at a loss as to why they seem to think they have any clout left anyway - they represent somewhere around a quarter of the UKs beekeepers, and so certainly are no longer their voice.
I am pleased to report that I am possessed of particularly fine moustachios, and wouldn't be seen dead in the company of any members of a pesticide company!

 

[Roy S]

All of this anti BBKA rant is getting a bit tiresome, sure it could be run better and I honestly believe that in the coming years they wont have a choice but to change. But as a focal point of british beekeeping they could do a lot worse. their PR has brought a hell of a lot of interest and newcomers into the craft in the last 3 years. I think they are (rightly) suffering ear bashings all the time over the bayer shenanagens, and I cant see it happening again.

Its all VERY easy to criticise from a distance, but its harder to actually do something about it CONSTRUCTIVELY.

As Nellie said you do seem to be hellbent on ranting at the BBKA and this despite Jon even giving you facts to the contrary.

We've heard what you've said, but it is sounding like a cracked record these days

 

[Nellie]

"We interrupt this dogpile to bring you a news bulletin about the topic in question..."

None of this has much to do with presumably a 5 minute slot on springwatch that will probably focus on bumblebees anyway.

The first part of the segment on it had me thinking I was right. Well not Bumblebees but Leaf cutter bees and fascinating none the less.

The bit on honey bees was, as ever with these, underwhelming. Quick shot of a beek opening a hive while presenter yaps over his shoulder about how it's all going wrong.

Back to the dogpile...

 

[jon]

That was a valient attempt to bring the thread back on topic for which we are all grateful.

 

[Nellie]

Well to try and continue. The bit about all of the shows that I've seen this year that have featured Beekeeping have all been really underwhelming from an educational point of view.

Yes you get to see a hive being opened, but there's very little chat about what the beek is doing and why instead they seem to want to focus on the perceived problems. At least the guy was pretty honest in explaining that last year was crap because it rained nonstop throughout the summer. With a bit of editing you could easily fit into a 2-3 minute segment a quick inspection with the guy saying "I'm smoking the hive to do this... Here's a frame, this is the honey, this is the brood, we'll look for the queen blah blah blah" and Bob's your Uncle.

I know they're trying to give a meta view of the whole state of British Beekeeping in 2 minutes, but it would be nice now and again to just take a look at what the guy is actually doing to that particular hive while the camera is rolling and look at that for a change.

Don't ignore the meta issues either, but from my little apiary on a given weekend there's a lot more of interest and to be positive about and I'd just like to see some of that reflected in these programmes.

 

[jon]

Most of the general public can't tell the difference between honey bees wasps and bumblebees. A lot of TV is just theatre. The presenter gets to wear a white bee suit and wave his arms about while the beekeeper puffs the smoker.

I noticed in one documentary, can't remember which, that the "hive" they opened had 10 frames of foundation and one frame of bees in the centre which the presenter lifted out. The camera crew and presenter were probably too terrified of bees to do a genuine inspection.

 

[Brosville]

Probably one of the best was Martha Kearney's - she's already a beekeeper who has suffered losses, and presented an excellent, wide-ranging and unbiased view into the problems - we need more at that level, and of that excellence!