Development

[Finman]

.
Do you think that British beekeeping is developing somewhere?
Is is needed , where from to ....?
Is it allright? ------( except all trouples like bees are dying and queens/drones cannot mate any more)

What I have read these forums, problem is farming, not in habits of beekeeping.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Finman. what do you think is the main problem with the farming then .

 

[Finman]

Finman. what do you think is the main problem with the farming then .

Why you ask me? What I have read, you have only "natural variation". Professionals are silent.

I put this question in our forum. We are talking about same things as USA folks Pollinators deminish. Why? Perhaps it is business secret.

 

[Poly Hive]

I am going to chuck in my twopence worth here.

There is nothing wrong with British or is that English beekeeping.

What is wrong is that there was a bad summer followed by a bad winter followed by a wet cold spring followed by a severe (for the uk) winter followed by a poor spring.

And we expect the colonies to be in tip top condition? I think not. And poor nutrition will greatly explain poor matings.

If the history of beekeeping is read there is nothing new here bar that the conditions have been made worse by Varroa which the ancestors did not face of course.

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

There seems to be poor matings in other countrys too,so cannot all be down to just poor weather and nutrition.lots of infertile drones.

 

[Norton]

Is it surprising that some drones are infertile or have problems with the quality of their sperm? Beekeepers have been pouring miticides into their hives for years - I don't think that the majority of beekeepers realise just how toxic these miticides are and the effect they are having on our bees. They are now in all wax and it is estimated that it would take at least 50 years to get rid of them if they were stopped tomorrow. If these chemicals are fatal for Varroa and for bees if overdosed, I think it is only logical to assume that they will have some effect on the viability of sperm. In addition we have numerous chemicals in the environment that act as female hormones and are effecting the fertility of many animals and insects.
Best wishes
Norton.

 

[hedgerow pete]

I personaly will stand in front of the firing line, there are many things wrong with british bee keeping, as well as many things right but the biggest hurdel i see is a lack of direction with breed type aggression and temperment as well as breeding, there are many islands around the uk able to be used as breeding site or the shed idea i mooted else where there is no big organised bussiness in the beekeeping industry far too many little voices not being heard in government and the only people able to speak to them are cowards and spineless muppets. when you hear on this web site that someone has to import 2800 queens because he cant get them here from the other side of the planet surely someone would be able to set up a bee breeding /supply company in the uk or closer than that,
rant over
aim

fire

 

[victor meldrew]

There seems to be poor matings in other countrys too,so cannot all be down to just poor weather and nutrition.lots of infertile drones.

Water sources are contaminated with gender bending chemicals that are affecting fish !. Bees are obtaining supplies from the same source,Oestrogen from the use of the contraceptive pill is changing the sex of fish, lowering the sperm counts in the human male, therefore the drone is bound to be affected in the same way ??.

John

 

[Bcrazy]

Members to my mind all this talk is pure supposition.

Norton

They are now in all wax and it is estimated that it would take at least 50 years to get rid of them if they were stopped tomorrow. If these chemicals are fatal for Varroa and for bees if overdosed, I think it is only logical to assume that they will have some effect on the viability of sperm

Do you have any evidence concerning the above statement? By what credence can you substantiate your claim?

Please do not take this the wrong way as I do not wish to demean your stance on this. Only if we were to listen to everyone who voiced their opinion on a specific subject we would never be able to sort the wheat from the chaff.

Victor;

lowering the sperm counts in the human male, therefore the drone is bound to be affected in the same way ??.

Is it possible to be more explicit as now you have got me worried re my sperm count.

As mentioned members I am not knocking anyone but I need proof of anything substantial.

Regards;

 

[gavin]

Norton was talking about chemicals with insecticidal as well as miticidal properties, not gender bending chemicals.

Then we jump straight to homophobia. Is that OK on this forum then?

 

[Poly Hive]

10% of the male population are gay. So knocking gays is meant in this day and age to be funny?

I listened to a working men's club secretary brief a comedian the other day on the radio and believe me comments like these were not going to be paid for.

This is 2009. This is a public arena and so......liability counts.

PH

 

[victor meldrew]

.
Victor;Is it possible to be more explicit as now you have got me worried re my sperm count.
Regards;

Sorry Mo, no can do ,hence the question marks .
John

 

[Polyanwood]

I agree. We can put them on a continuum-

beekeeping is great
feminising chemicals in the water is not so great
homophobia is bad

 

[victor meldrew]

Norton was talking about chemicals with insecticidal as well as miticidal properties, not gender bending chemicals.

Then we jump straight to homophobia. Is that OK on this forum then?

My understanding of 'homophobia', is an irrational fear of mankind!
I have no fear of mankind, in fact I find homosexuality quite amusing.

John

 

[Hivemaker.]

This is perhaps why we should be worried,and yes we are talking about gender bending chemicals,and yes gavin,Norton did mention them,there is an all time high of estrogen in our waterways which is causing fish to change sex,as shown in a recent countryfile program,so if its affecting wildlife,why not people,we drink water.

 

[BKF Admin]

I deleted the offending posts for anyone who has an issue with them.

 

[Poly Hive]

I am not offended Admin just taken aback to find them on line here.

I seem to remember a comment being made about children reading the forum, so when I modded my Paltalk room as G rated, as in children may be present, I booted off more than a few for such material.

PH

 

[BKF Admin]

Sorry PH I never noticed anything homophobic in the posts ?

I laughed because I have never considered before the point that Hivemaker was getting across,here in Hants we are having terrible problems with the trout mating due to "the pill" and I do wonder if any study has been done regards drones/males drinking this rubbish.

The posts came from a science angle not a homophobic angle.

I think I can talk for both myself and Hivemaker when I say nothing malignant was intended .

Was it something in the wording that was so bad ?

 

[Poly Hive]

I cannot quote now as they are not there but from my shaky wine influenced memory puffs for poofs is too close for comfort.

PH

 

[BKF Admin]

I thought it was a misspelling myself,so ignored it at the time.

Still no harm done as its been removed.

Now Gavin will have to find something else to moan about