Bee basehive count....

[B+.]

Indeed, not filling it out either, not because of any conspiracy theories, but simply because there is no incentive to do so.

It takes ages to fill anything in on that system anyway and, as others have pointed out, you can't change/delete anything so it's a bit like writing with a permanent marker.

 

[B+.]

1. I completed the hive census. It IS quite important for several reasons, and for us especially so as we are getting on for 2% of the total UK colonies, (which would have a real impact on NBU.Scot Govt. funding). Undeclared apiaries increase the risk of undetected diseases.

2. I GENERALLY trust the NBU and the inspectors (there are a FEW very opinionated exceptions) and have cordial contact with the head office and the RBI and SBI's we encounter in England.

3. I do NOT completely trust the people who pull THEIR chain. The NBU is pretty near the bottom end of the food chain, and they have to do what they are told on some issues.

4. The survey was fine up to a point but plainly had some 'native bee' PC input into a couple of the questions, so yes, there WAS a bias to it.

5. Black bee zealots? Yes, there are some around, and they have seriously rose tinted glasses about their merits. Good bees are good bees, bad bees are bad bees. The types don't matter a jot if they work. There are also Buckfast zealots. There are 'locally adapted' zealots too.

6. The EU funding has a set of very specific aims identified in the support programme. The UK (and its not alone) rather fiddle the story and keep all the cash 'on house', and have openly said they will keep it that way and any chance of any of it trickling down as cash (or in the form of free test kits etc) to beekeepers is zero. Which does rather make all the survey filling a bit of a 'you do the work, we keep the money' exercise.

Excellent synopsis Murray. I have to add, if they hadn't put their name to that questionnaire, I would probably have filled it in (muttering under my breath as I did it because it's an awful system)

 

[MartinL]

(obviously that won't apply to the UK after Brexit). So perhaps someone can explain .

Did you hear that????????

the sound of flood-gates opening!

 

[Madge]

1. I completed the hive census. It IS quite important for several reasons ...

... 5. ... Good bees are good bees, bad bees are bad bees. The types don't matter a jot if they work. ...

That's a nice summing up of reasons for the hive count, ITLD.

I agree with the 'good bee' reason of selection - but there is another one for native bees, and that is an attempt to preserve pure native bees in areas where they might stand a chance. I've never met a black-bee zealot as others have described, and I think the slur is used far too easily and readily.

Kitta

 

[Swarm]

That's a nice summing up of reasons for the hive count, ITLD.

I agree with the 'good bee' reason of selection - but there is another one for native bees, and that is an attempt to preserve pure native bees in areas where they might stand a chance. I've never met a black-bee zealot as others have described, and I think the slur is used far too easily and readily.

Kitta

Well said MC.