'Eco' Tree Hives or disease-bombs in waiting?

[Jengles]

My parents, who are not beekeepers, just excitedly sent me pictures of a 'tree hive' which is supposedly for rewilding honeybees. An immediate red flag was the claim that 'the honey bee population has been struggling', which is patently untrue, but I'm also wondering if this is actually going to do more harm than good.

While the idea of the UK having truly wild honeybees (or at least healthy feral colonies again?) is great, I feel like this colony is either going to dwindle and die off from mite load, spreading mites through robbing and drifting as they go, or if they do miraculously become mite-resistant through neglect, they're going to cast swarms every year that will land in chimneys and compost bins because there truly aren't many natural habitats for honeybees... And what happens if they get AFB??

Perhaps my scepticism over something that is clearly well-meant is a sign that I'm prematurely becoming a grumpy old git...

 

[Newbeeneil]

When I was apiary manager for a local teaching apiary there was some on line discussion between several committee members about possible additional hives we could add to the site. One person suggested a log hive and I sat back to wait for some negative reaction from the others. (Bear in mind this apiary had be badly hit with EFB the year before I started.)
There was none so after 5 hours I tendered my resignation.
I know there are always going to be “wild” colonies of honeybees that can’t be inspected but I wouldn’t want one deliberately put near my apiaries.

 

[Mint Bee]

All valid comments, conveniently ignored by proponents of this non beekeeping system

welcome to grumpy old git territory

 

[ldwgs]

My parents, who are not beekeepers, just excitedly sent me pictures of a 'tree hive' which is supposedly for rewilding honeybees. An immediate red flag was the claim that 'the honey bee population has been struggling', which is patently untrue, but I'm also wondering if this is actually going to do more harm than good.

While the idea of the UK having truly wild honeybees (or at least healthy feral colonies again?) is great, I feel like this colony is either going to dwindle and die off from mite load, spreading mites through robbing and drifting as they go, or if they do miraculously become mite-resistant through neglect, they're going to cast swarms every year that will land in chimneys and compost bins because there truly aren't many natural habitats for honeybees... And what happens if they get AFB??

Perhaps my scepticism over something that is clearly well-meant is a sign that I'm prematurely becoming a grumpy old git...

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There are are far too many hives in cities and the Apis is not struggling but is harming the survival of all our solitary and Bumblebees

 

[Jengles]

All valid comments, conveniently ignored by proponents of this non beekeeping system

welcome to grumpy old git territory

Thank you! I already grumble about not understanding the young people and their Tiktoks and Snapchats. I think it's time i embraced being old and grumpy

 

[Parsonage Bees]

 

[pargyle]

I'm not sure I have an issue with this ... perhaps not for the 'bees are threatened' reasons but there are so few hollow trees and traditional places where bees could set up home that I can see that it would/could be a benefit for swarms looking for a home. I can't say that I would put one in my apiary but for people with suitable trees in their garden and no bees ... it's not a bad thing. Bear in mind that I'm treatment free and I'm a bit NIMBY about it - there's a difference between being TF and just neglecting kept bees. But, if they are feral colonies or escapees that a beekeeper has 'lost' .. giving them somewhere to live ...I can accept that.

MInd you, looking at the box ... might be yet another outfit looking to jump on the bandwagon of 'endangered honey bees' and make a quick buck ...

https://www.justbeeecohives.com/shop

 

[Jengles]

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Valid criticism!

 

[warsaw_hive]

An immediate red flag was the claim that 'the honey bee population has been struggling', which is patently untrue

I don't like that either, but let's be fair the worst at exploiting this are commercial beekeepers. Beekeepers who get sponsorship for their hives, convince companies to put beehives on their roofs/sites to offset their carbon/pollution/planet destruction. Is it me or are these the same beekeepers who sell raw honey? I have a bigger issue with these types of beekeepers.

I would have no issue if somebody put one of these hives up near me. In fact I know there is one about 4 miles away. Somebody has asked me to build something similar for their garden after they saw my decorative bait box.

People can register the box on bee base, it is just listed as an unconventional hive. It has an access hatch to allow inspection.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

There are are far too many hives in cities

London

 

[warsaw_hive]

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How do you print on wood like that?

 

[pargyle]

How do you print on wood like that?

Laser engraved ....

 

[ericbeaumont]

access hatch to allow inspection.

Not enough for the Inspector to check brood for disease.

 

[ericbeaumont]

There are are far too many hives in cities and the Apis is not struggling but is harming the survival of all our solitary and Bumblebees

In certain circumstances, perhaps, this alarmist tabloid summary would be true, but the variables of insect population, weather, forage and unknown apis density make certainty elusive.

 

[warsaw_hive]

Laser engraved ....

Just had a quick google. Machines seem to vary greatly in price.

 

[warsaw_hive]

Not enough for the Inspector to check brood for disease.

It's not massively different from my Warre hives. I'm sure a chunk of comb could be cut out if needs be. They are not going to be the initial source of EFB/AFB.

A couple of years ago I went around Lowther castle and there were lots of leave alone "freedom" hives high up in the trees. There are also around 500 conventional hives on the wider estate. They clearly don't think there is a disease risk worth worrying about.

I would bet that a substantial percentage of large estates/gardens have similar hives. It's the trendy thing at the moment.

 

[Murox]

......... Lowther castle and there were lots of leave alone "freedom" hives high up in the trees. There are also around 500 conventional hives on the wider estate. They clearly don't think there is a disease risk worth worrying about.
I would bet that a substantial percentage of large estates/gardens have similar hives. It's the trendy thing at the moment.

 

[Anduril]

I don't like that either, but let's be fair the worst at exploiting this are commercial beekeepers.

Why the negativity? We are all beekeepers. Small hobbyist, large hobbyist, semi commercial and commercial. All the above are acceptable. One thing to consider, commercial beekeepers provide a service to hobbyists. So it could be considered that hobbyists are exploiting commercial beekeepers for, beesuits, hives and bees.

 

[ericbeaumont]

They clearly don't think

Likely.

a disease risk worth worrying about.

They have no way of knowing.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

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I had a look at this website and found an article by Clare Densley, How to read a varroa tray. I'm always hoping I'll get better at this. Her article is very comprehensive and contains a few things I'd not come across before, like the fact that among the inquilines (a word I'd just looked up yesterday) in the hive, the only one like to cause harm is the wood ant (Formica rufa) which can carry chronic bee paralysis virus. (The paper is easy to find.)

There is a thread here from 2013 with a post from Tom Bick which is almost complete (and a shorter read!).