British Black Bee

[Wilco]

It is an accurate statement. What would you say has had the most negative impact on bee keeping in the UK and Ireland over the last twenty years?

Varroa and loss of forage. Treatment free and 'natural' approaches don't help.

Declining biodiversity as a whole and sublethal effects of residual pesticides in environment will be interesting ones for the next 20 if SHB doesn't get here first.

 

[rolande]

It is an accurate statement. What would you say has had the most negative impact on bee keeping in the UK and Ireland over the last twenty years?

The same as Manley was complaining about in the 1940s: closed minds.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The same as Manley was complaining about in the 1940s: closed minds.

strangely enough - it was the same thing that Dr Frank Smith said in the 1960's

 

[Finman]

Hard winter..

The northern place, where the reindeer and 3 beehives were, there is now -25C out temp.

In southern Finland temps are -15C. ... That about cold hardy bee races.

Guys have imported Italian package bees from Australia. Their genepool do not survive here. We have very good winter hardy Italian bee stock here. Lots of imports happen in Spring from Italy, and those queens do quiye well in Finland Carniolan are imported too plenty. Their problem is often swarming. German nonswarming Carniolans are imported too.

Carniolan race does not have difficulties in Finland. It has been kept here about 35 years since black bee started to vanish by varroa.

 

[pargyle]

Varroa and loss of forage. Treatment free and 'natural' approaches don't help.

And incompetent conventional beekeepers ....

 

[Finman]

And incompetent conventional beekeepers ....

Better to change the whole Irish population, as they did in French Cultural Revolution.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Better to change the whole Irish population, as they did in French Cultural Revolution.

I think my train of logical and philosophical thought has just been short circuited

 

[Wilco]

And incompetent conventional beekeepers ....

Arguably a significantly longer issue than the last 20 years!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Better to change the whole Irish population, as they did in French Cultural Revolution.

Bees ? Or shall I get my knitting needles out?

 

[Finman]

Bees ? Or shall I get my knitting needles out?

No. Change the convential people.
Your bees are from Ice Ace. That we know .

 

[Wilco]

 

[Finman]

View attachment 29382

Local native big foot. Potato blight resistant.

 

[Lislarybees]

Better to change the whole Irish population, as they did in French Cultural Revolution.

I know the winters are long and dark up where you are but lack of sunlight has clearly taken its toll

If you are happy that your native honey bee subspecies has been wiped out by bee keepers like you then so be it - not much left to argue

 

[Finman]

I
If you are happy that your native honey bee subspecies has been wiped out by bee keepers like you then so be it - not much left to argue

We have never had native bees in nature. All bees have imported inside 200 years.

I just say that you are mad out there with your native bees. Europe is half full of Black bees.

 

[RichardK]

We have never had native bees in nature. All bees have imported inside 200 years.

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding you here, however, can you explain why you believe 'we have never had native bees in nature"? So they're man made?!

And you believe the bee population is all imported?

I'm lost.....or maybe this thread is now so long and convoluted that I'm not up to speed.

 

[Finman]

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding you here, however, can you explain why you believe 'we have never had native bees in nature"? So they're man made?!

And you believe the bee population is all imported?

I'm lost.....or maybe this thread is now so long and convoluted that I'm not up to speed.

Richard. Do to start to teach me about evolution of bees. I do not believe anything, because I am able to use modern biological information.

Modern means knowledge less than 20 years old. Older knowledge is old. It was told that honeybee has been evolved in Europe and spreaded to Africa.

For example, I have told to the Great Britain, the native bee has not evolved on British Isles, because the whole area up to the Mediterranen coast was tundra. Tundra means that ground is permafrost ja vegetation is moss, small willow and birsch bushes ans some trees.
Many famous beekeepers have not been able to read that kind of knowledge from botany sector.

I have never believed or insisted, that you do not have had "native " bees. If you can read a bigger map of Europe than the British Isles, you see that a black bee belongs to the fauna of Europe. Other bee races are in the the South East Europe, and more races are in Near East and about 20 races in Africa.

The Species of honey bee is the same animal, and its living area is from South Africa to Germany. It is ONE animal species and nothing more. The nearest relative is Asian bee.

And now, every village in Ireland, in Wales and in England wants their own native village subspecies. I do not know about Scotland

And all bee races of Europe moved from Africa and from Near East when climate got warmer after Ice Ace.

Rickhard, why are you lost? There is no reason to that . These writings in this chain is mostly nonsense . Use your brain. That will save your.

We know quite much about bees' evolution since the bees' DNA has been revieled, but these beekepers' own stories mix the whole thing to the level of fairytales

 

[Finman]

And you believe the bee population is all imported?

I have not invented that. It is written in the history of the Finnish honeybee. I am not quilty to everything.

 

[Finman]

I know the winters are long and dark up where you are but lack of sunlight has clearly taken its toll

If you want to be evel, I ask that when you 100 years ago protected your native bees on the Isles, who heck shooted out all Tasmanian aboriginals at the same time?
The last Tasmanian was cooked in a pot and skeleton was put into the British Museum.

 

[RichardK]

I don't live in the UK, hence thankfully I can read a 'bigger map than the British Isles'.....it would be tricky if I couldn't.

You said, & I questioned: "we have never had native bees in nature". By nature, I assume you mean in the wild. You didn't mentione the UK & as you don't live there either I assumed you meant globally. Of course there have been & are native bees.

I'm lost because some of what you say makes no sense to me. I'm aware of the problems when posting on forums in a foreign language - I do it all the time in French. It's not easy & you need to be carefull not to punch above your weight (i.e. know your limits).

 

[Finman]

I don't live in UK

I'm lost because

I believe you.