BBKA 2017 Honey survey

[Eyeman]

BBKA Honey survey

The honey crop from British beekeepers remains depressingly small, just 24 lbs or approaching 11 kilos per beekeeper, pointing to a steady decline in the crop and an increase in worries about the future of honey bees
The results of the British Beekeepers Association’s annual Honey Survey released today reveal that the average beekeeper in England produced 23.8 lbs (11.8 kilos) of honey this year – a decrease of 2.3 lbs over last year’s crop.

 

[wightbees]

For my part for this year it would be correct But not a true figure! Mainly because I wasn't after honey this year.
Then there's the ivy which I would guess at 24lbs per colony which I haven't took either, have they include this I wonder? I do have some light colonies but most have filled up with ivy

 

[B+.]

BBKA Honey survey

There must be lots of newbies out there getting little, or nothing at all [https://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/album.php?albumid=751&pictureid=3832]

 

[Beefriendly]

Its always worth remembering that this is the yield of BBKA members who fill in survey forms. Something I don't do....I suspect the yields might be considerably higher if they could do the impossible and get survey answers from those who don't do surveys!

 

[Amari]

BBKA Honey survey

Strange because I've had the best year since starting beekeeping in 1972

 

[drex]

I knew you would get the hang of it one day Giles. I am still waiting. If the figure was per hive it might make more sense, but still pretty poor, but 24 lbs per beekeeper??? Glad I don't fill in their questionnaires if that is the result!

 

[Poly Hive]

Makes about as much sense as the rest of the stuff that they come out with.

PH

 

[daroco]

I knew you would get the hang of it one day Giles. I am still waiting. If the figure was per hive it might make more sense, but still pretty poor, but 24 lbs per beekeeper??? Glad I don't fill in their questionnaires if that is the result!

I completed the survey - and the result is quite a lot lower than my own yield, which makes me begin to wonder if there’s some agenda to reporting these low yields.

 

[madasafish]

I completed the survey - and the result is quite a lot lower than my own yield, which makes me begin to wonder if there’s some agenda to reporting these low yields.

Ditto..

But then when you read the BBKA Facebook page, there are an awful lot of newbies without much clue - and a few beekeepers with 40 years experience - of doing something which was outdated in 1977 and advising newbies...to repeat their ways..

 

[Eyeman]

I knew you would get the hang of it one day Giles. I am still waiting. If the figure was per hive it might make more sense, but still pretty poor, but 24 lbs per beekeeper??? Glad I don't fill in their questionnaires if that is the result!

Just noticed it's 24lb per beekeeper- Blimey!

 

[madasafish]

Just noticed it's 24lb per beekeeper- Blimey!

They quote in their introduction "The country’s honey crop remains depressingly small, just 24 lbs or approaching 11 kilos per hive, "

and then further down say "that the average beekeeper in England produced 23.8 lbs (10.8 kilos) of honey this year –"

So I assume their contradictory statements really mean PER HIVE.

www.-------------/news_and_events/depressingly_small_honey_crop_from_british_beekeepers_]

It's a pity they cannot even produce a statement without making an obvious error ...

 

[madasafish]

Just noticed it's 24lb per beekeeper- Blimey!

They quote in their introduction "The country’s honey crop remains depressingly small, just 24 lbs or approaching 11 kilos per hive, "

and then further down say "that the average beekeeper in England produced 23.8 lbs (10.8 kilos) of honey this year –"

So I assume their contradictory statements really mean PER HIVE.

www.bbka dot org.uk /news_and_events/depressingly_small_honey_crop_from_british_beekeepers_

It's a pity they cannot even produce a statement without making an obvious error ...

 

[alldigging]

Survey asks for cutoff date for crop before we have took supers off.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Survey asks for cutoff date for crop before we have took supers off.

What is the cut off date....first week of April?

 

[alldigging]

What is the cut off date....first week of April?

30th sept.

we'd took one lot off but had standstill on apiary so rest wasn't counted.

 

[Stiffy]

Just noticed it's 24lb per beekeeper- Blimey!

If I had a hive that only produced 24lb it would be sorted very quickly !
S

 

[madasafish]

If I had a hive that only produced 24lb it would be sorted very quickly !
S

It IS NOT - it's per hive.
Their Press Release is misleading - see above

 

[Teemore]

Lets face it. Many beekeepers do not want to let on how much honey they "might" be able to produce.... Trying to get anyone to fill in those sort of surveys in any part of ireland is exactly the same. People with one or two colonies, relatively new beekeepers learning the ropes are the ones who complete them.
I do not place any value on these reports.

 

[Dodge]

I have just had a look at the artical on the BBKA website. Unless there is more breakdown of the figures is meaningless to my mind.

It would be interesting to see breakdown by age groups, how many hives kept total and where. The survey may only be of interest to limited demographics of beekeepers leafjng to skewed results.

 

[justsmith]

Got a feeling they are adding nucs and hives which you have spit in to the number of hives to divide the total honey yeild, or somthing daft like that