BBKA Bee Breeding certificate.

[Finman]

Kettlle, Saucepan, Black ???

Yes but that story had happy end.

.

 

[JWF]

Yes but that story had happy end.

.

Can't beat a happy ending eh?

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Only just seen this thread.
Well, I passed the exam and I breed local mongrels - selecting from the best, so I fit in the category the BBKA were wanting. Although I would say that I am bound to be less skilled than some posting here. So the pass or fail criteria in not entirely to do with skill as a queen-raiser.
(I don't do II although the advantage would be to get early queens and not wait upon the weather).

 

[Hivemaker.]

Well, I passed the exam

Well done, Hebeegeebee, did you get to meet Marin.

 

[B+.]

Well done, Hebeegeebee, did you get to meet Marin.

I did. He and John Hendry were the assessors

 

[B+.]

Only just seen this thread.
Well, I passed the exam and I breed local mongrels - selecting from the best, so I fit in the category the BBKA were wanting. Although I would say that I am bound to be less skilled than some posting here. So the pass or fail criteria in not entirely to do with skill as a queen-raiser.
(I don't do II although the advantage would be to get early queens and not wait upon the weather).

Well done!
You have my congratulations for passing. I'd be curious to hear your feedback (pm me if you prefer).
I agree. It had more to do with whether you raised mongrels than your abilities as a queen breeder. It makes you wonder why they called it a "Bee Breeding" assessment at all really.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Marin and someone else did me. (Whoops I've forgotten her name).

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Can't beat a happy ending eh?

For the exam, yes, but not in the way you are implying you naughty person you!

 

[B+.]

Marin and someone else did me. (Whoops I've forgotten her name).

Fiona Eelbeck?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Marin and someone else did me. (Whoops I've forgotten her name).

Thought it might be Marin, jolly nice fellow, met him for the first time a couple of years ago... when he visited here to collect a couple of frames/combs of eggs/larvae to use for grafting from.
He later posted me a frame of eggs when he finally got his new breeder queen from Germany.

 

[Beefriendly]

What type of bees is he into breeding? Buckfast?Amm's? Or is it top secret
Can't see you providing local mongrels

 

[Hivemaker.]

What type of bees is he into breeding?

Was raising queens from Buckfast breeder queens and open mating for himself and a few members of the local association.

 

[Beefriendly]

Was raising queens from Buckfast breeder queens and open mating for himself and a few members of the local association.

And was failing B+ on the breeding certificate for breeding Carniolans and not local bees?

 

[Finman]

.
Breeding hybrid vigour! Sounds normal, like always.
.

 

[Finman]

And was failing B+ on the breeding certificate for breeding Carniolans and not local bees?

Where B+ needs such certificate? Can't he do it without piece of paper?

.

 

[B+.]

Thought it might be Marin, jolly nice fellow, met him for the first time a couple of years ago... when he visited here to collect a couple of frames/combs of eggs/larvae to use for grafting from.
He later posted me a frame of eggs when he finally got his new breeder queen from Germany.

Nice enough bloke but clearly had never conducted a pin-killed brood test in practice. There's a big difference between reading about something so you can pass an exam and doing it in practice.
I have no argument with either of the assessors. I should have known it wasn't an objective assessment when the parting shot as they left was "it'll be discussed at the examination committee meeting in September". If that isn't a give-away that the process was subjective rather than objective, I don't know what is.

 

[B+.]

Where B+ needs such certificate? Can't he do it without piece of paper?

.

I think it would be beneficial to have a "Certified Bee Breeder" status so beekeepers could differentiate between those who were developing/improving a line of bees and those who were merely "multipliers" (queen rearers) of other breeders work.
I still support that idea, but, I don't think the BBKA should be allowing their own racial prejudices to interfere. As I've said before, the assessment should be limited to the assessment, selection and propagation of stock according to a defined strategy. I believe there should also be evidence of an attempt to control the mating of queens so that valuable characteristics can be inherited by the progeny (even if the heritability of some traits is very low).
Let's not forget that this emphasis on propagating local mongrels would exclude breeders of Amm, Buckfast, etc on the same grounds as I was disqualified (so, I am arguing for their rights too).
I can only hope that the BBKA Examination Committee will reconsider its position, but, I don't have much confidence that they will.

 

[For want of a better word]

Where B+ needs such certificate? Can't he do it without piece of paper?

.

Met too many puffed up Doctor of this and Doctor of that to care much for certificates and qualifications!

I am still very proud of my Cycling Proficiency Certificate and the Swimming certificate for 25 yards.... everything else seems insignificant!

And the BBKA BASIC was a joke!!!

Yeghes da

 

[B+.]

And the BBKA BASIC was a joke!!!

Fundamentally, it's all about whether you can light a smoker (which I rarely do anymore), recognise the queen, workers and drones (adult and pupal stage) and a bit on disease management (notably, EFB and AFB). There's not really that much more to it.
I did my "Basic" so long ago that the BBKA had to dig through old paper records to confirm that I'd taken it. It wasn't even on their computer system.
Having the "Basic" under your belt was a pre-requisite for the Bee Breeders certificate (and rightly so IMO). If you hadn't already taken it, this could explain why you weren't part of the pilot group. Sometimes, having a bit of paper opens doors and changes how people view you. It doesn't mean you can't do it. It just means you haven't passed the exam.

 

[kevrhcfag]

Only just seen this thread.
Well, I passed the exam and I breed local mongrels - selecting from the best, so I fit in the category the BBKA were wanting. Although I would say that I am bound to be less skilled than some posting here. So the pass or fail criteria in not entirely to do with skill as a queen-raiser.
(I don't do II although the advantage would be to get early queens and not wait upon the weather).

Congratulations.

If you don't do II how could you supply a 3 Gen Pedigree as per the PDF B+ attached, or do you have an isolated mating station?