Dale Brown.. anyone?

[birdsandbees]

Hi knowledgeable collective.

I was wondering whether anyone had heard of a guy called Dale Brown, he says he works for BeeBase (NBU), BBKA and has been working abroad teaching beekeeping for five years.
I only ask as he has some strange ideas regarding swarm control or the lack of which seem at odds with his alleged involvement with the aforementioned organisations.

I'd like to call his bluff but thought I'd see if he speaks the truth first.

thanks in advance

 

[B+.]

Hi knowledgeable collective.

I was wondering whether anyone had heard of a guy called Dale Brown, he says he works for BeeBase (NBU), BBKA and has been working abroad teaching beekeeping for five years.
I only ask as he has some strange ideas regarding swarm control or the lack of which seem at odds with his alleged involvement with the aforementioned organisations.

I'd like to call his bluff but thought I'd see if he speaks the truth first.

thanks in advance

In what capacity?
The NBU Bee inspector contact list is here http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/public/Contacts/contacts.cfm

 

[birdsandbees]

In what capacity?
The NBU Bee inspector contact list is here http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/public/Contacts/contacts.cfm

thanks, I have looked there and no sign, cant see him listed anywhere for any organisation, I rather think hes talking rubbish on all counts but having heard some rubbish from BBKA he could be telling the truth

 

[Ian123]

So what’s he suggesting then......

 

[Hivemaker.]

Dale Brown,

Mike Brown was head of the NBU for lots of years, maybe something to do with him.

https://farmerscientistnetwork.co.uk/team_member/mike-brown/

 

[MartinL]

no sign, cant see him listed anywhere for any organisation, I rather think hes talking rubbish on all counts

Perhaps he's one of the "YouTube Experts" AKA, Self-important Nutter?

 

[Mr C]

Perhaps he's one of the "YouTube Experts" AKA, Self-important Nutter?

Do you know what. I’m getting fed up with all the clickness y Do we have to be keyboard warriors
We are here to share our knowledge and experiences
We need to try and get on like bee do Just because somebody has a YouTube video y are they self important nutter
I’m very grateful for the advice and help that I’ve had from other on her
Best Mr c

 

[birdsandbees]

So what’s he suggesting then......

Oh, nothing major, as suggested just a keyboard warrior arguing against clipping queens on the basis that bees need our help and we should let them swarm naturally.
I’ve been debating the subject of allowing swarms to leave willy nilly and the problem that causes for homeowners when they take up residence in their walls or chimneys, he then tried some feeble argument regarding dogs and cats and that vets deal with those and bees should be allowed to swarm as it’s good for nature or some such drivel.
It was when he said he knows what he’s talking about because of the above associations he works with and that he’s not prepared to debate further I was sufficiently interested to see if he was telling the truth.
I have since discovered that he’s a member of a beginners page on FB and from his recent posts is a relatively new Beekeeper.
I’ll just file it under ‘keyboard warrior who when losing an argument tried to BS his way out’

I just get rattled when there are genuine people wanting to learn and you get people like that telling them it’s okay to just let bees swarm.

Thanks

 

[Finman]

.
Method is "catch and release".

If you cut the queen's wing, next swarm will be double size.

 

[For want of a better word]

.
Method is "catch and release".

Everywhere there is a Dale* offering well meant advice.... sadly a few on here too!



*OR a Tom a Dick or a Harry... before someone takes offense!!!!

 

[Poly Hive]

Pm me the group please seems some fun to be had.....

PH

 

[oliver90owner]

Nothing intrinsically wrong with letting bees swarm. It is their natural instinct to reproduce and pass on their genes.

However if one is wanting a decent honey crop, from a managed hive, it’s not the way to go. Collecting the swarm may be an alternative, but is risky, in that you may not get them all.

So what is really different than doing an A/S? That emulates a swarming colony without losing your crop and without populating your neighbour’s chimney. The only real difference is that you still have all the phoretic mites in your two parts, much like catching the natural swarm (if that ‘rocks your boat’). Whether that makes a difference might be debatable.

If he lives miles from his next door neighbour, it may make no difference to anyone but himself - and he has done his bit in increasing the feral colonies in his area. Many beekeepers are afraid of feral colonies in their area and try to minimise them, for fear of the dreaded varroa mite - that certainly does not improve the overall bee numbers in the natural habitat (bees on man-made frames in man-made hives is not exactly ‘natural’).

Not all ideas are totally cranky, but in context he may simply be trying to help the local bee population. It is his choice. If there were a lot of feral colonies out there, increasing the natural bee population, they would eventually be populating chimneys when they swarm, anyway!

So what exactly is the OP trying to find out? If that is the bloke’s target, he is telling the truth. He could argue that and be proven correct. What is ‘truth’? If it is only the way you keep your bees, then are all the people, who try to keep their colonies differently, liars? Not really true. They may not be agreeing with your ‘truth’, but may not be lying, all the same.

 

[SDM]

If he lives miles from his next door neighbour, it may make no difference to anyone but himself - .

How many people live more than swarming range from their nearest neighbours? I live in North Wales and can think of nowhere that's true.
I've also witnessed a near fatality caused by a swarm dropping down a chimney, had a beekeeper appeared saying he was helping local feral populations, then a fatality would have been far more likely.