dumped ?

[village girl]

as one of Norwich's swarm coordinators I have had a busy and interesting summer. But to day I got a call from the council to ask if we could investigate/ remove a home made hive complete with bees. that had been dumped on the side of the road. Surprised and intrigued off I went to look. The TBH was badly constructed and was not fit for purpose, the bees were struggling to survive with no stores and a hive (for want of a better word) that leaked like a sieve,
I think this is a disgusting way to treat any creature and if you keep bees you should be held accountable for the care and wellbeing of your colony's. I personally, think these people that dump or abandon bees should be prosecuted as they would with any animal
there are lots of people that are willing to help if you ask so their is no need to leave them to die
the bees are now in a polly hive with 3 frames of stores so fingers crossed we my have saved them

 

[VEG]

Well done you. I hope you have had a thorough look through them before putting them in your own apiary in case of disease.

 

[village girl]

I didn't do it alone outlander helped me sort them out, an to be honest the combs were clean and empty as far as could tell all looked ok but too cold to keep them out for too long,

 

[VEG]

Its always worth having another site for swarms and other hives to go to, like a quarantine area before moving to your own apiary. Any bees I pick up stay at my home for at least a month then get moved to my apiary as there is EFB in my area.(I have had the all clear).
Still cant fathom why they would dump them as they have a value.

 

[village girl]

Its always worth having another site for swarms and other hives to go to, like a quarantine area before moving to your own apiary. Any bees I pick up stay at my home for at least a month then get moved to my apiary as there is EFB in my area.(I have had the all clear).
Still cant fathom why they would dump them as they have a value.

unfortunately they have a cost at the moment feed + extra equipment, and yes they should of gone to an out apery but that has more hives than my garden... but the point is why do people think it is ok to dump or abandon bees any other living creature and the police/rspca ect will prosecute it just makes me angry that people take on bees but don't think they are responsible for them,

 

[Queens59]

They would probably dump a dog or cat too - just another creature to use and abuse I suppose...shooting any one?

 

[victor meldrew]

unfortunately they have a cost at the moment feed + extra equipment, and yes they should of gone to an out apery but that has more hives than my garden... but the point is why do people think it is ok to dump or abandon bees any other living creature and the police/rspca ect will prosecute it just makes me angry that people take on bees but don't think they are responsible for them,

Some Beekeepers (a noisy minority) think to leave bees to their own devices is ideal and hands on Beekeepers should be shot!
VM

 

[beeno]

Some Beekeepers (a noisy minority) think to leave bees to their own devices is ideal and hands on Beekeepers should be shot!
VM

Yes, VM but they still keep them in their garden or in an apiary. This lot dumped the colony by the road side clearly a different philosophy altogether! Some hands on beekeepers should be shot too as their ignorance knows no bounds in some instances!!

 

[victor meldrew]

Yes, VM but they still keep them in their garden or in an apiary. This lot dumped the colony by the road side clearly a different philosophy altogether! Some hands on beekeepers should be shot too as their ignorance knows no bounds in some instances!!

Point taken, I was however referring to the few who take hands off, to the point of allowing swarming with no qualms about their welfare even when these swarms issue too late in the season to be viable without human intervention.
Back to the abandoned hive.
Maybe the guy/gal got caught up in the : save the bee hype : couldn't cope ,felt ashamed and placed the hive where it could be seen?
There are hundreds of hives abandoned in the countryside year on year through death/ infirmity of the owner or simply the walk away type chappie?
Vm

 

[busybee53]

Dumping by the road side has implications for the safety of the general public and there might be another way to prosecute. But then there is no way to find out who it was who dumped the bees in the first place. Or is there?

Either way well done village girl.

 

[pargyle]

Some Beekeepers (a noisy minority) think to leave bees to their own devices is ideal and hands on Beekeepers should be shot!
VM

There's an immense difference between beekeepers who choose to operate a low interference style of beekeeping and leave their bees to get on with it in their own way and the beekeeper here who clearly chose to abandon their bees. The fact that it was in a poorly constructed TBH has little relevance ... there are a number of threads on here where beekeepers have had to sort out conventional hives that have been abandoned (Sometimes for years !).

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=16528

Just because some beekeepers choose to allow their bees a degree of autonomy in how they manage their hive does not make it wrong and not every beekeeper with this sort of regime feels that conventional beekeepers are wrong in the way they operate.

I think there's a noisy minority in beekeeping, generally, with ideas that have no place in beekeeping.

This thread was about someone who, clearly, had no idea of what they were doing ...even to the point that they did not realise the asset that they had, if they had chosen to sell it for a very modest sum. Whoever it was beekeeping and their bees are obviously better off without them.

 

[Luminos]

Well done Village Girl and Outlander.
Such a pity - I'm sure that there are many beekeepers in the area who would have been happy to take the bees off their hands, rather than just dump them.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Maybe it was one of these guerrilla beekeepers? remember this thread?:
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=25959

 

[pargyle]

Maybe it was one of these guerrilla beekeepers? remember this thread?:
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=25959

Might be ... but it would never happen in Yorkshire or Wales ... short arms, deep pockets !!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Might be ... but it would never happen in Yorkshire or Wales ... short arms, deep pockets !!

Wouldn't be TBH though!

Just been told of two abandoned hive a few weeks ago - owner's a solicitor though so I'm making enquiries and might have a look in the spring.

 

[Barbarian]

The councils are very quick to make charges for treating pests.

I hope they gave you a good fee.

 

[Dishmop]

The councils are very quick to make charges for treating pests.

I hope they gave you a good fee.

You'd think that if the dumpers were beeks they would know other beeks who might want them or somebody who knew somebody....

A possibility is that somebody moved into a new house and didnt want the bees and the council told them it would cost £????? to remove them..

or they were a swarm that moved into a hive that somebody had as a garden decoration..

 

[itma]

Of course, if one was going to successfully dump a colony, you'd have to take it the "3 miles" away ... and know about that.

No good just taking it round the corner ...

 

[Dishmop]

Of course, if one was going to successfully dump a colony, you'd have to take it the "3 miles" away ... and know about that.

No good just taking it round the corner ...

My postman told me the other week that he knew somebody who wanted to get rid of some bees........

 

[thorn]

Wouldn't be TBH though!

Just been told of two abandoned hive a few weeks ago - owner's a solicitor though so I'm making enquiries and might have a look in the spring.

He'll not have abandoned them. There's more money in beekeeping now than in the Law.