Bee health adviser scheme scrapped

[MuswellMetro]

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.

Yes Diane Steele SBi West Sussex takes Julian's job and they I assume will advertise for two new SBIs

 

[BeeJayBee]

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.

They trained the bee farmers for the DASH scheme, so it's no different. Does anybody know of reports that DASH will also be shelved?

For those that don't know, DASH="Disease Accreditation Scheme for Honeybees" http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageid=360​

If they try to charge £200 to cover costs for a disease inspection they won't get many takers, not least because it doesn't seem that the cost would be recovered from insurers.

With the continuing rise on beekeeper numbers it would make sense to use local volunteers who can make sure inspectors only get called out to colonies with a notifiable disease or where poisoning may have destroyed a colony, rather than being called out to find varroosis, N. cerana or starvation.

There has to be that return, though, if beekeepers are being trained and then some don't follow it through by helping the local association it is a waste of money.

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?

Yes, they're good or at least the ones I've met are and they can spot the one or two cells of AFB in a hive.

Travelling from apiary to apiary must be potentially hazardous; what effective precautions do they take to prevent spreading disease?

Driving is hazardous, keeping beekeeping equipment clean isn't particularly difficult. There are relatively few cases of notifiable disease and, if they find a case, they do the same as we're advised to do which is bag up the suit and wash it at home, gloves are appropriately disposed of between apiaires anyway. They wear a clean suit and clean equipment at the next apiary.

Bleach is effective against AFB.

 

[Hivemaker.]

If they try to charge £200 to cover costs for a disease inspection they won't get many takers, not least because it doesn't seem that the cost would be recovered from insurers.

That is apparently what is already paid, or it costs, so they don't need to find any takers, but they probably wouldn't be receiving this kind of money for training beekeepers for nothing, so that plan gets axed.

Apha.
It is partly run by this bunch now, and their aims are to make money, the money ultimately comes from the government, and some of it via the EU, and the government are making cutbacks on many fronts.

From 2014 to 2015, our priorities will be:
• look for new sources of income, and continue to introduce charges for services that are currently provided free to the industry

Expecting to get £700m in 10 years when it says currently 40m a year doesn't sound great for the customer.
How long before a bee inspector turns up with an invoice ?

Our business strategy is to grow the business in a controlled and profitable manner across our target markets.

That does not look like a kind of organization that is out to provide free training for hundreds of beekeepers for nothing.

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=32778&highlight=Apha

 

[madasafish]

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?

Speaking from personal experience, BIs can find one infected cell in 10 colonies.

And after my experience of AFB, I reckon I can as well:-(

EDIT

And if a BI would try to charge a hobby beekkeeper £210 for inspections, then I reckon self help will become essential.

A moot point is that they have power of entry and inspection uninvited. No way will that work if they then charge you for an uninvited visit...

 

[Quis Custodiet]

...........


Driving is hazardous, keeping beekeeping equipment clean isn't particularly difficult. There are relatively few cases of notifiable disease and, if they find a case, they do the same as we're advised to do which is bag up the suit and wash it at home, gloves are appropriately disposed of between apiaires anyway. They wear a clean suit and clean equipment at the next apiary.

Bleach is effective against AFB.

Indeed, driving is hazardous! . AFB spores are more likely to be spread by the beekeeper than by the bees, when several different apiaries are involved. That is the reason for my interest in how the B.I's deal with that aspect of their work.
Sodium hypochlorite is the active ingredient in bleach which destroys the spores. Milking machine cleaners also have it and usually in higher concentrations.

 

[For want of a better word]

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.

I was being ironic

Dipping in Dettol... what I was told to do if finding an infected one when I was a tech in the door at the back of the hospital... Special Clinic... not to put too fine a point on it.

I hope the SBI has more training on disease recognition than the man down the pub!
Nos da

 

[Brian Bush]

along with 7 other colleagues from the Bucks associations, I was trained as a BHA last year. The training was on a Saturday morning and carried out by the RBI and SBI.
This is purely a voluntary scheme and it was implied that this would reduce the workload on the Inspectorate who would then have a differing focus. No money saved but a better use of scarce resources.
If this has been abandoned I have not been informed and my colleague and I are about to promote the role among our association membership.

 

[alldigging]

Is there any more info on why this scheme has been cancelled?