BBKA ADM Small Hive Beetle

[sunhivebee]

ADM meeting is January. Still time to persuade your county delegate ...

There is still time, and hopefully lots of people will make the effort, inspite of Christmas preps. Bill Rintoul's campaign(https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petiti...eading-to-britain?source=twitter-share-button) is doing well, reaching 1000 soon. The more it gets the higher the chance that 38deg will take it on as a national campaign. Fingers crossed.

 

[itma]

When is this due to be voted on?

that would be today if i am not mistaken...

Only slightly mistaken.
Saturday was the day that the various Kent divisional reps were supposed to meet and 'brief' the Kent ADM delegate.
But it didn't happen.

Given the time before the ADM, this meeting was scheduled much too soon after the release of the ADM papers, having the 'unfortunate' effect of reducing the time to lobby (however indirectly) the voting delegate.

I genuinely think the scheduling was unfortunate AND accidental, if thoughtless.
A meeting to discuss the county delegate's mandate for the December Special Delegates Meeting would have been required, and I guess someone thought to get everything out of the way at the same time.

I'm not sure that the forum is appropriate for discussion of the delicate matters behind the SDM, but IMHO the need for the SDM is indicative of a failure of both management and man-management at the top of the BBKA, and rejecting the offer from three past Presidents to quietly and independently adjudicate the matter looks ever more like a gross error of judgement.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It seems to me that the BBKA runs its own club the way it wants.
It's time there was a real voice for real beekeepers....... but who would want to run such a show?

 

[bontbee]

(https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petiti...eading-to-britain?source=twitter-share-button) is doing well, reaching 1000 soon. The more it gets the higher the chance that 38deg will take it on as a national campaign. Fingers crossed.

Only 15 more to go to get to 1000

 

[Bates]

Supply and demand is the issue here. Working extremely hard for 4 years to have my business destroyed so quickly by banning imports that my business relies on to supply the demand. At the age of 25 I risk loosing everything as a result of SHB. I just don't see how on earth I could supply the amount of queens I sell or need for early nuc production... it just would not be viable. Please have some heart for people that rely on this as their sole income that are still VERY young in life that are working in an industry that the average beekeeper is in their 60's.

I would agree that banning the importation of package bees from Italy is completely understandable but queens (if newly caged, escorted and processed correctly) carry an extremely low risk of spreading of which fruit is far higher. Banning imports entirely is going to destroy people lives, not only mine but my friends that I deal with in Italy that are already devastated at what has happened.

 

[Stiffy]

Supply and demand is the issue here. Working extremely hard for 4 years to have my business destroyed so quickly by banning imports that my business relies on to supply the demand. At the age of 25 I risk loosing everything as a result of SHB. I just don't see how on earth I could supply the amount of queens I sell or need for early nuc production... it just would not be viable. Please have some heart for people that rely on this as their sole income that are still VERY young in life that are working in an industry that the average beekeeper is in their 60's.

I would agree that banning the importation of package bees from Italy is completely understandable but queens (if newly caged, escorted and processed correctly) carry an extremely low risk of spreading of which fruit is far higher. Banning imports entirely is going to destroy people lives, not only mine but my friends that I deal with in Italy that are already devastated at what has happened.

I agree, it really needs careful consideration and not a knee jerk reaction. I would advocate waiting to see how the Italians deal with the problem they have first. A ban would need to follow if they cannot be seen to have eradicated SHB. I also believe that the beetle will eventually arrive through fruit, the same as it did in the US.
S

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[mbc]

Nothing personal, and I really feel for the businesses that have, and will, suffer due to the spread of shb, but there is nothing knee-jerk about a complete ban of imports from the continent until the extent of the problem is better known. If we don't react now we will more than likely get the beetle and that will be that, if that suits some then shame on them for being so selfish to disregard the best outcome for the vast majority of uk beekeepers.

 

[mbc]

I also believe that the beetle will eventually arrive through fruit, the same as it did in the US.

Pure speculation and quite improbable, we have been importing thousands of tonnes of fruit from countries which have shb, long before the USA got the beetle.

 

[Stiffy]

Nothing personal, and I really feel for the businesses that have, and will, suffer due to the spread of shb, but there is nothing knee-jerk about a complete ban of imports from the continent until the extent of the problem is better known. If we don't react now we will more than likely get the beetle and that will be that, if that suits some then shame on them for being so selfish to disregard the best outcome for the vast majority of uk beekeepers.

I certainly dont think someone trying to save their business and income is being selfish! It could be argued that a bunch of hobbiest should not dictate if a ban is implemented or not that could potentially destroy the livilhood of a far number of people

Nothing personal either, but I believe you have always been an advocate of banning imports and this is just the opportunity you and 'others' have been waiting for.

Unless fruit imports are banned as well, the beetle will arrive here. How do you think it found its way to Italy? ....imported queens, highly unlikely for an area that has been successfully breeding queens for domestic use and export for many a year.
Until the Italians have had a chance to eradicate, which I am sure they will want to, a total ban is in my opinion wrong and will not do anyone any good.
S


Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[fatshark]

I'm with mbc on this. It's clear the beetle is well established is Southern Italy. To be as widespread it must have been there for some time. I suspect the exclusion zone will increase in size as we move through into the 2015 season. With the exception of the single apiary in Portugal in 2004 I'm not aware that the beetle has been eradicated from any of the countries to which it has been introduced. Bates is absolutely correct we have a major supply and demand problem in the UK regarding provision of early season queens and nucs. I have considerable sympathy for him (her?) and the other businesses that have been built to meet this demand.

However, people need to be aware of the devastation caused by the beetle when it has been introduced … it arrived in the USA in 1996. It got to Florida in 1998 and was responsible for the destruction of 20,000 colonies in that state alone that year. A ban on imports reduces the risk of the beetle getting here. It is simple common sense. It might even give the Italians more time to eradicate the beetle before it spreads throughout Europe … though I suspect it's too late for that now.

A ban might even be beneficial for UK beekeeping … encouraging better colony management, more queen rearing and the development of a sustainable strategy for training and development in associations.

PS (following up the response from Stiffy) … the NBU did a risk assessment in 2009 on the 8 different methods by which the beetle could spread to the UK. The importation of bees and queens was the highest risk. This document is publicly available here: http://randd.defra.gov.uk/Document.aspx?Document=PH0510_9177_FRP.pdf

 

[Moggett]

A ban is unlikely in my opinion as it would have to be a ban of bee imports from the whole of Europe. If they just ban Italian bees the importers will just ship them to France or elsewhere where they can be then forwarded to the UK.

Besides, if they ban imports the demand will still be there so people will smuggle them in and sell them at higher prices. How many cars and vans are searched entering the UK? How many queen cages would fit in a mondeo boot?

Immigration services will consider bee smuggling a low priority compared to people, booze, counterfeit tobacco and drug running.

 

[mbc]

I certainly dont think someone trying to save their business and income is being selfish! It could be argued that a bunch of hobbiest should not dictate if a ban is implemented or not that could potentially destroy the livilhood of a far number of people

Nothing personal either, but I believe you have always been an advocate of banning imports and this is just the opportunity you and 'others' have been waiting for.

Unless fruit imports are banned as well, the beetle will arrive here. How do you think it found its way to Italy? ....imported queens, highly unlikely for an area that has been successfully breeding queens for domestic use and export for many a year.
Until the Italians have had a chance to eradicate, which I am sure they will want to, a total ban is in my opinion wrong and will not do anyone any good.

Lol.

 

[EKBee]

I agree, it really needs careful consideration and not a knee jerk reaction. I would advocate waiting to see how the Italians deal with the problem they have first. A ban would need to follow if they cannot be seen to have eradicated SHB. I also believe that the beetle will eventually arrive through fruit, the same as it did in the US.
S

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

There is no evidence that it travelled on fruit to the US

Studies have shown that it may be attracted to rotten fruit

If the risk from fruit is so high why did it not arrive in Britain years ago from S Africa?

Carefully consider too long & it will be here (that's the problem)

 

[EKBee]

No supply & demand isn't the issue the issue is whether we want to stand by & let this beetle into the country or not

If your business is going to be hit by a ban you should receive compensation
Same way the farmers were compensated during foot & mouth

The country shouldn't be subjected to a destructive pest just because bee farmers are inconvenienced. Adequate help must be put in place. SHB will mess up your business up anyway if it gets here.

 

[Stiffy]

There is no evidence that it travelled on fruit to the US

Studies have shown that it may be attracted to rotten fruit

If the risk from fruit is so high why did it not arrive in Britain years ago from S Africa?

Carefully consider too long & it will be here (that's the problem)

Think he has a better idea than us?
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=32004&page=2

S

 

[Hivemaker.]

If your business is going to be hit by a ban you should receive compensation
Same way the farmers were compensated during foot & mouth

Adequate help must be put in place.

I don't believe that is ever likely to happen in England.

 

[domino]

No supply & demand isn't the issue the issue is whether we want to stand by & let this beetle into the country or not

If your business is going to be hit by a ban you should receive compensation
Same way the farmers were compensated during foot & mouth

The country shouldn't be subjected to a destructive pest just because bee farmers are inconvenienced. Adequate help must be put in place. SHB will mess up your business up anyway if it gets here.

DEFRAs own risk analysis shows that they can be transported on fruit, however, it does point out that the biggest single risk is the transportation of packaged bees and queens.

Whilst I understand that people who import bees wouldn't be happy with a ban the damage SHB could reap on UK beekeeping it is well worth banning them for now whilst we determine the best cause of action.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Supply and demand is the issue here. Working extremely hard for 4 years to have my business destroyed so quickly by banning imports that my business relies on to supply the demand. At the age of 25 I risk loosing everything as a result of SHB. I just don't see how on earth I could supply the amount of queens I sell or need for early nuc production... it just would not be viable. Please have some heart for people that rely on this as their sole income that are still VERY young in life that are working in an industry that the average beekeeper is in their 60's.

I would agree that banning the importation of package bees from Italy is completely understandable but queens (if newly caged, escorted and processed correctly) carry an extremely low risk of spreading of which fruit is far higher. Banning imports entirely is going to destroy people lives, not only mine but my friends that I deal with in Italy that are already devastated at what has happened.

A business model that relies on shipping live animals across borders has disease at the source as an obvious risk. That risk has now triggered. I'm sorry, but the world owes none of us a risk-free guaranteed living at the expense of overall welfare. My suggestion is you take the setback (as you point out, you are young) and put together a more sustainable model raising queens and bees here. The alternative is a yet more unsustainable model, in the presence of SHB.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Managing small hive beetle.
http://www.extension.org/pages/60425/managing-small-hive-beetles#.VHyadcm0MYc

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I try to be more cheerful than that. We kept rabies out forever, essentially.