Bee health adviser scheme scrapped

[MuswellMetro]

Following up with our Regional Bee Inspector on when the Bee Health Advisors we appointed would be trained. His reply was that the BHA scheme has been scrapped following discussion with the BBKA

HE WOULD NOT SAYS WHAT WOULD REPLACE THE BHA SCHEME but added it was not and insurance issue

That may be because we know from discussion with a bbka trustee that advice given by a bbka member by another is covered by bbka insurance but not if the advice is given to a non bbka member you are not covered by bbka insurance

So does anyone else know why thr BHA scheme has been scrapped

 

[Hivemaker.]

So does anyone else know why thr BHA scheme has been scrapped

Governments cutbacks, or cutouts, i expect, like with many other things.

 

[BeeJayBee]

We haven't heard anything in this area, where several local BKAs have people who have trained as bee health advisors over the last couple of years. They're quite busy too, so probably save the SBI some work. They aren't paid, unless the local association offers expenses, so the only cost to the inspectorate is the training.

If BBKA has worked with FERA to shelve the scheme maybe somebody on that site would know why, and what might replace it.

 

[MuswellMetro]

We haven't heard anything in this area, where several local BKAs have people who have trained as bee health advisors over the last couple of years. They're quite busy too, so probably save the SBI some work. They aren't paid, unless the local association offers expenses, so the only cost to the inspectorate is the training.

If BBKA has worked with FERA to shelve the scheme maybe somebody on that site would know why, and what might replace it.

Well if it has gone belly up, then you heard it first here. The RBI who told me is moving to southern region in January and despite pressing him on several other issues all he is now saying "that's for Diane steel your new RBi to decided,

with our SBi Caroline Washington also retiring I think being an BHA next in north London next year might have been rather a difficult and onerous role

Getting info on the bbka workings from the Darkside forum is harder than pulling hens teeth so if you ask such a question on there you are met with a wall of silence

 

[Michael Palmer]

Governments cutbacks, or cutouts, i expect, like with many other things.

Same here. Our inspector is retiring at the end of the month, and the state hasn't posted the job. He's part of an early retirement scheme to balance an unbalanceable budget, and they claim they won't be refunding any such jobs. This with idiots moving in possible AFB colonies within 3 miles of my main mating apiary.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Governments cutbacks, or cutouts, i expect, like with many other things.

Same here. Our inspector is retiring at the end of the month, and the state hasn't posted the job. He's part of an early retirement scheme to balance an unbalanceable budget, and they claim they won't be refunding any such jobs. This with idiots moving in possible AFB colonies within 3 miles of my main mating apiary.

Bee health advisors aren't government funded, they're local beekeepers who are trained by the local bee inspectors. They are unpaid volunteers, unless their association pays them something towards travelling. The idea is (was?) that they take some of the pressure off the inspectorate by reducing the number of unnecessary callouts, because the inspectorate is only really interested in the foulbroods.

The regional and, presumably, seasonal bee inspectors are funded centrally. It'd be a pity if any of them disappear because they work hard and do a good job.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Bee health advisors aren't government funded, they're local beekeepers who are trained by the local bee inspectors.

Are the bee inspectors just doing this training in their spare time, or during their normal working hours which have to be paid for?

The regional and, presumably, seasonal bee inspectors are funded centrally. It'd be a pity if any of them disappear because they work hard and do a good job.

If the answer is they are doing it in their spare time while not being paid, why would they dissappear.

 

[For want of a better word]

Same here. Our inspector is retiring at the end of the month, and the state hasn't posted the job. He's part of an early retirement scheme to balance an unbalanceable budget, and they claim they won't be refunding any such jobs. This with idiots moving in possible AFB colonies within 3 miles of my main mating apiary.

Tragedy is that due to " Confidentiality" placed upon Government Bee Inspectorate, this can happen in the UK as well. Beekeepers in the UK would be unaware of of another beekeeper either unwittingly or deliberately moving infected stock in to close proximity your own apiaries area.

We had just this happen last year, only found out after the event when all the infected colonies had been destroyed by the area SBI... and then only due to a passing comment from another beekeeper who had an inspector call to look over their bees!!

Can say no more as my psychotic voice within is telling me that I am under a gagging order about commenting about the beekeeping and other community activities in the
greatgreygreenslimeytamarrivervalleyallsetaboutwithsecondhomes

seems all the socialhousing occupants have sold up and moved up country or into the private housing sector!

Nadelik lowen

 

[madasafish]

Tragedy is that due to " Confidentiality" placed upon Government Bee Inspectorate, this can happen in the UK as well. Beekeepers in the UK would be unaware of of another beekeeper either unwittingly or deliberately moving infected stock in to close proximity your own apiaries area.

We had just this happen last year, only found out after the event when all the infected colonies had been destroyed by the area SBI... and then only due to a passing comment from another beekeeper who had an inspector call to look over their bees!!

Yes: that happened to me..6 out 7 colonies destroyed.

The culprit is now notoriously well known in beekeeping..locally.

 

[pargyle]

Getting info on the bbka workings from the Darkside forum is harder than pulling hens teeth so if you ask such a question on there you are met with a wall of silence

The 'awkward' questions over there just seem to disappear from what I've seen ...

I really don't understand the BBKA .. they, of all people, should be at the front, supporting and encouraging beekeepers and methods of beekeeping that are trying to improve the state of our bees ... yet they seem to be very inward looking and suppress innovation rather than applaud it. They support some very antiquated bee keeping ideas and are guilty of proliferating some very bad ones.

The only people who get to have any influence in the BBKA hierarchy seem (to me) to be those who toe the party line .. questioning any of the rote methods is considered heretical.

I'm a member but only because of the insurance and my association's affiliation.

 

[Tom Bick]

It's a shame if true as I had my name down to do the course this next year.

 

[Michael Palmer]

Bee health advisors aren't government funded, they're local beekeepers who are trained by the local bee inspectors. They are unpaid volunteers,

We've thought about doing this. A volunteer inspection service run by the Vermont Beekeepers Association. Trouble is, we wouldn't have any authority to trespass on anyone's property or inspect their bees....unless invited to do so.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Bee health advisors aren't government funded, they're local beekeepers who are trained by the local bee inspectors.

Are the bee inspectors just doing this training in their spare time, or during their normal working hours which have to be paid for?

As far as I know the training is (was) centrally funded and is (was) done during the normal RBI and SBI working hours.

The regional and, presumably, seasonal bee inspectors are funded centrally. It'd be a pity if any of them disappear because they work hard and do a good job.

If the answer is they are doing it in their spare time while not being paid, why would they dissappear.

None of the bee health advisors I know of are paid unless the local associations offer them something towards travelling expenses. I don't understand why the ones who have already been trained would need to disappear, but could understand if there's a moratorium on training any more, at least in the short term.

I agree with Tom in that it will be a shame if this scheme is stopped because I know quite a few who were hoping to do the training next year. But I do know of some who've used the training as a stepping-stone within their association, and have then withdrawn from offering local support because they recknoned it took too much of their time (or somesuch excuse). That could be one of the reasons - demand is too high, and there's no guarantee of follow through support for local beekeepers?

We've thought about doing this. A volunteer inspection service run by the Vermont Beekeepers Association. Trouble is, we wouldn't have any authority to trespass on anyone's property or inspect their bees....unless invited to do so.

It's the same here Michael, they're just there to offer advice to people in the local associations and can only ever be invited to look at a colony. The inspectorate might have the power to insist on inspecting colonies, but I'd guess there would be quite a papertrail if a beekeeper refused entry when first requested.

 

[Hivemaker.]

As far as I know the training is (was) centrally funded and is (was) done during the normal RBI and SBI working hours.

Maybe the people that pay the bee inspectors (who are ultimately paid by the government) are not too happy about paying the inspectors for a service which has no return, ie training beekeepers for nothing, and maybe reducing their own work load, when they can be doing their proper job for a good payment, something was mentioned about a cost of £200 every time they did an inspection for notifiable diseases.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

As a matter of interest, just how competent are Seasonal Bee Inspectors? For example there were several instances here of which I am aware, when there was but one or two cells of AFB in the entire hive. Finding them was essential, but could the Inspectors/Advisors/Bee health Personnel of various ilk be relied upon to have acuity of vision necessary to do so?
Travelling from apiary to apiary must be potentially hazardous; what effective precautions do they take to prevent spreading disease?

 

[For want of a better word]

As a matter of interest, just how competent are Seasonal Bee Inspectors? For example there were several instances here of which I am aware, when there was but one or two cells of AFB in the entire hive. Finding them was essential, but could the Inspectors/Advisors/Bee health Personnel of various ilk be relied upon to have acuity of vision necessary to do so?
Travelling from apiary to apiary must be potentially hazardous; what effective precautions do they take to prevent spreading disease?

Reply... very intensively trained to a very high standard
Bio security is high on their training and they have the latest in test kits for AFB and EFB.... and have an enviable ability to find it.
Also most have a Science degree and have been beekeepers for some years.

I could add more but my psychosis is telling me to be quiet about beekeepers sharing kit and facilities cooperatively that would more probable in spreading bee disease than the SBI who literally dips himself in Dettol after every apiary visit!!

Nos da

 

[MuswellMetro]

It's a shame if true as I had my name down to do the course this next year.

Tom , I was asked to be a BHA but declined to take up the offer and with Caroline Washington resigning as North London SBI I think a BHA would have been quite an onerous job with an new inexperience SBI

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Also most have a Science degree

Nah - that's not true - not even in the key competencies and especially not for a pro rata EO's wage. Can't honestly think of one I know with a degree of any kind.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

I suspect you are right. I would also guess the some of the full time, career inspectors are excellent at their job and from there the abilities taper off down the line to being perhaps "not so good".

Icanhopit, thank you for your reply. But at the risk of being rude; while you have addressed my questions, you have not answered them. Is Dettol really effective against AFB?

 

[Tom Bick]

Tom , I was asked to be a BHA but declined to take up the offer and with Caroline Washington resigning as North London SBI I think a BHA would have been quite an onerous job with an new inexperience SBI

So we are going to get a new SBI Geoff. I suppose Caroline wasn't getting any younger and all the extra checks for SHB she has been doing could have been hard work for her.