BBKA Membership

[lady malarkey]

As a new beekeeper myself, I'm intrigued by the hints I'm picking up of some seriously entrenched and long-standing feuds going on between Associations, governing bodies, regulators and inspectorates.

Am I wrong?

If you are, then I am too. And I think 'intrigue' is just the right word. I guess where there are people, there will always be arguments about what's right and what's wrong. Humans, eh?

Meanwhile, I shall try to remain impartial and balanced and try to make up my own mind about these things, based 'pon the evidence presented, m'lud! And a heavy dose of instinct!

 

[BKF Admin]

My humble opinion is that all new beekeepers should join their local association before getting bees.

The advice and help at local level is very good for clubs that are made up of volunteers.

After a year or so it is then up to each individual if they want to stay on and help others or leave.

The problems seems to start when you look at things at a national level,should decisions be made without a member vote ? should seperate enterprises be funded by agro-chemical companies for a stamp of approval without first passing it through the membership ?

I dont have the answers,but its questions that have been asked for a couple of years.

I dont belong to a BKA so dont see how I can criticise any longer.

Many say join up and make changes from within,good luck with that if you take it on...

 

[margob99]

I'll go with that, Admin, I agree about joining a local beekeeper association. I've done that and been rewarded with lots of help, advice, insight and education. Really the best advice. But must put emphasis on "local" - too far away and they just can't help; half the help comes in someone being able to pop over on a day's notice and check out your bees to give good local advice.

 

[Tom Bick]

I also for what its worth think its important that new beekeepers join a local association it can be a good place for information and help but more important to me if disease breaks out you can be contacted warned about it and any measures to take and if they want to the bee inspector can get a list of hives in the area to inspect. This is of course that the local association is that organised with contact details.

 

[Nellie]

Many associations work pretty hard to make themselves accessible and lay on training days for new beekeepers.

I believe ours is pretty good when it comes to answering enquiries and being welcoming to new Beeks, but if for any reason someone's having problems contacting Bristol Beekeepers then please feel free to drop me a PM here, I may not post that often but I do drop by pretty regularly.

Many say join up and make changes from within,good luck with that if you take it on...

Is what I did. I figured I could sit on the sidelines and grumble how everything I wanted wasn't being handed to me on a plate by other people prepared to give up their time and effort running the association or I could get on board when they asked for new committee members and try and make a difference that way.

 

[BKF Admin]

Nellie,I was reffering to changes at national level (The grand lodge)not the foot soldiers at local level who do a sterling job.

 

[Nellie]

Good luck on that front.

My ignore list is big enough already so I'll leave it at that when it comes to opinion about the BBKA.

 

[Tom Bick]

Just to add a foot note the associations that have websites a number of the websites are extremely good and informative as above Nellie's associating website Bristol Beekeepers have a section of Host a hive matching beekeepers with sites quite forward thinking.

 

[victor meldrew]

If that's the only reason, ask yourself the honest questions of how good that insurance is, and your need for it...........
In a nutshell, when did you last hear of someone being successfully sued because of what their bees had done?, and contemplate just how hard it would be to prove it was "one of yours".......
I can understand the point of friendly local associations, but to shell out an inordinate sum to be counted as "one of them" as a "web member" is beyond me.......
(a firm non-member until there is a root and branch reorganisation of the BBKA!)

People in the UK have been successfully sued for damages and nuisance .
Whilst criminal law requires proof beyond reasonable doubt , civil law will settle for probability !!.
One beekeeper in the midlands was successfully sued by the local council for nuisance . He kept a few hives at one side of the village, at the other side was an attractive water source, (a large pond with a shallow muddy bank) . Between hives and water source was a small development of properties the owners of which complained about their lines of washing + their cars etc being splattered with bee droppings .
The beekeeper argued that it couldn't be proved that his bees were responsible.
The court took a different view and found for the council stating that ,"his were the only bees in the district and the water source was beyond the houses, therefore the probability was that the bees were his" .
It is even more important in these days of ambulance chasing lawyers , that third party insurance is taken !!

John Wilkinson

 

[Nellie]

As with all insurance, it's worthless and a waste of money until you need it.

 

[victor meldrew]

As with all insurance, it's worthless and a waste of money until you need it.

Quite True , After paying insurance for donkeys' years on both house and car , I had a spate of bad luck . December 2009 my house was burgled (ransacked) .
Then February 2010 I was tee-boned at a road junction,( first accident in all my 50 years driving) .Though a no fault situation ,I'm damned glad I had comprehensive cover in both cases .

John Wilkinson

 

[davethegas]

Hear, Hear JW, couldn't agree more.

 

[Haughton Honey]

I joined my local BKA for a year.

Once.

A while back.

 

[lady malarkey]

Quite True , After paying insurance for donkeys' years on both house and car , I had a spate of bad luck . December 2009 my house was burgled (ransacked) .
Then February 2010 I was tee-boned at a road junction,( first accident in all my 50 years driving) .Though a no fault situation ,I'm damned glad I had comprehensive cover in both cases .

John Wilkinson

I think for the few pounds a year it costs, I'd rather be insured, and not need it, rather than take the risk.

Do other companies do bee insurance? I'm thinking NFU, maybe? What kind of cover is there, for example, for things like having to have a hive destroyed because of notifiable disease?

(I can't believe I'm talking about insurance so early in the morning! Good grief...)

 

[Tom Bick]

I was at the Lloyds Building in central London delivering a hive yesterday I should have asked about insurance then.

 

[roche]

No one other than BDI do bee disease insurance, at the moment. You may have third party injury cover under your household insurance if your bees are kept at home. You probably won't have product liability insurance.