Co-Op

[E1M]

I saw something in the news this weekend regarding the Co-ops initiative for BEES, anyone know anything about it? There was a picture of some 100 bee-hives in Scotland somewhere.
Apparently the aforementioned company are encouraging people to either take up the hobby or to become more aware.
A good thing?
I await your comments.
Iain

 

[For want of a better word]

Plan B?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Is that when plan A doesn't work?

 

[bobster]

Plan Bee

An interview with Murray Mcgregor who was responsible for importing the NZ bees for the co-op .

Bobster

 

[drstitson]

There is no Plan B. Ask Mr Osbourne.

 

[For want of a better word]

There is no Plan B. Ask Mr Osbourne.

I don't think there is any plan...........................................

 

[Poly Hive]

If one listens to what Murray says they are bred in NZ from German stock.

They are black bees not the normal yellow/tawny brown NZ bees.

PH

 

[countryman]

at our local co-op head office in pompey they proudley announced how they set up an apiarey at the old IBM building loads of paths criss cross this place with all the hive thefts i wonder how long they last after being blasted across the local rag bit stupid if you ask me!!!

 

[gavin]

If one listens to what Murray says they are bred in NZ from German stock.

They are black bees not the normal yellow/tawny brown NZ bees.

PH

Ummm, well, 'black bees' has certain connotations. They are Carniolans, pure and simple. Maybe with a bit of Italian mixed in as the NZ breeders have been unable to keep them completely pure. Yes, they came via Germany but the original stock came from over the Alps in the Austria-Slovenia area. The Germans put a lot of effort into bee breeding of that race and so that it what they are.

So they may be dark but their broad bands of tomentum, their long pointy bodies rather than short and squat ones, their halo of gingery hairs and above all their wing vein pattern (yes, I've looked) tell you that they are Carniolan. In other words, genetically they are *very* different from the black bee (actually dark brown) that used to be the only bee here. Genetically different because DNA evidence shows that the east European races (of which this is one) have a long history of separation from the West European ones - and even some African races are closer to the bee that is native here.

G.

 

[For want of a better word]

Are the Hawaiian strain |NZ| look a lot like the very yellow NZ I have?

Carniolians certainly very different and very dark in comparison.

So called Buckfast bees I have seen ( in the Devon locale) look more NZ than Carniolian !

Back to Coop Plan B..................... no wildflower seeds left. a few furry stick on bees still left.. would not discuss the fancy dress outfits !

 

[Into the lions den]

Are the Hawaiian strain |NZ| look a lot like the very yellow NZ I have?

Hawaiian? they are nothing whatsoever to do with Hawaii, never been near hawaii, and are bred from very different lines.

I do not know how many time it has had to be said, but these are NOT the yellow italian derived stock historically imported from NZ. Not the best pics to see, I know, but the general darkness may be apparent in the pics including my grandson in the 'albums' section.

As regards the Co-op..........I await further developments, but I know they were mightlily cheesed off with the 'bite the hand that feeds them' demeanour that some people adopted to an initiative they did with only a passing eye on the marketing side. There was also a general frustration with the 'persistent creativity' of certain correspondents attempting to organise the 'against' campaign.............so there are changes afoot, and whole rafts of things they were doing are to be scrapped (not our joint project though).
Not heard as of yet about any plans to scrap beekeeper help, but I know the shenanigans from the past season were causing serious irritation and a change of direction was being thought of. Since then there has been a change of personnel in the section that deals with bee matters, and another of the key figures announced her imminent 'moving on to pastures new' only this week. We will see what happens once the new appointee, whoever that may be, gets his or her feet on the ground.

 

[Skyhook]

Are the Hawaiian strain |NZ| look a lot like the very yellow NZ I have?

Carniolians certainly very different and very dark in comparison.

So called Buckfast bees I have seen ( in the Devon locale) look more NZ than Carniolian !

THERE ARE NO NEW ZEALAND BEES!!! Well there are, but no honey bees. These are european bees, be they carniolan, italian or whatever, taken over there, then exported back because the climate makes commercial production easier. ENOUGH WITH THE NEW ZEALAND BEES!!!

 

[For want of a better word]

THERE ARE NO NEW ZEALAND BEES!!! Well there are, but no honey bees. These are european bees, be they carniolan, italian or whatever, taken over there, then exported back because the climate makes commercial production easier. ENOUGH WITH THE NEW ZEALAND BEES!!!

So what should one call the little squat tailed furry yellow bees imported into the UK some time ago previously, and known by many as New Zealand bees ?

One of my friends great grand parents emigrated to the aforementioned Antipodean islands... she calls herself a New Zealander and her passport clearly states that fact. She does site her Scots / Norwegian origins on occasions...........................

Buckfast bees now seem to be raised on an island somewhere in the Mediterranean I am lead to believe? a long way from Devon !

It is just a bit of generic terminology... not worth loosing sleep over IMO !

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

It is just a bit of generic terminology... not worth loosing sleep over IMO !

Quite

 

[Skyhook]

So what should one call the little squat tailed furry yellow bees imported into the UK some time ago previously, and known by many as New Zealand bees ?

One of my friends great grand parents emigrated to the aforementioned Antipodean islands... she calls herself a New Zealander and her passport clearly states that fact. She does site her Scots / Norwegian origins on occasions...........................

Buckfast bees now seem to be raised on an island somewhere in the Mediterranean I am lead to believe? a long way from Devon !

It is just a bit of generic terminology... not worth loosing sleep over IMO !

Alright, I'll put my toys back in the pram... but I DO think it muddies the waters (eg on the recent mammoth thread regarding ITLD's Swindon set-up), where 'New Zealand bees' makes it sound as though they are an exotic species which they are not- a distinction I think some newbies may not appreciate.

Oh, and I don't know what the little furry ones were, but I'm guessing it's one of the 3 social species, introduced for use as glasshouse pollinators? Not honey bees though.

 

[For want of a better word]

Alright, I'll put my toys back in the pram... but I DO think it muddies the waters (eg on the recent mammoth thread regarding ITLD's Swindon set-up), where 'New Zealand bees' makes it sound as though they are an exotic species which they are not- a distinction I think some newbies may not appreciate.

Oh, and I don't know what the little furry ones were, but I'm guessing it's one of the 3 social species, introduced for use as glasshouse pollinators? Not honey bees though.

Not as furry as that!

Thanks for putting me right on the INVASION of GERMAN bees into the plains..
I too wos duped too by the term NEW ZEALAND BEES...............
My Grandad would be horrified to hear of tens of thousands of Germans landing there!!!

 

[Skyhook]

Not as furry as that!

Thanks for putting me right on the INVASION of GERMAN bees into the plains..
I too wos duped too by the term NEW ZEALAND BEES...............
My Grandad would be horrified to hear of tens of thousands of Germans landing there!!!

Ve have ways of making you honey!

 

[For want of a better word]

Ve have ways of making you honey!

I have been looking at those skep beekeeperin videos on Youtube too !!​

 

[Chris58]

Then add to that it looks like Kirstie 'What's her name', is about to join in with encouraging beekeeping courtesy of her new TV series, looks like we'll be inbetween a week of baking, sewing, oh yes, beekeeping, that's a good idea. They're all at it.

 

[BKF Admin]

I think when most uk beekeepers think of New Zealand bees they are talking about the New Zealand Queens that are imported by some commercial sellers.

These bees are often Italian strain and so orange they look translusent in sunlight.

They also imported them into the uk up until a couple of years ago from hawaii.

Geneticly they are nown as cordovan type.