Free Beehaus anyone

[Somerford]

chinese dont need bees for pollination

They most certainly do!!

It's been reported that at least one of their 'top fruit' regions has been so contaminated with pesticides that there are no insects and no birds either.

I think it was said the region is similar in area to the Brtish Isles.

Hand pollination has been costed out for the UK apple crop and would cost about £525 per tonne.

Regards, RAB

I was about to say - what pollination - most of the agricultural land in china is either polluted or so degraded by soil erosion they are increasingly relying on imported foodstuffs (huge amounts from Australia) to satisfy demand. I'm not sure I'd want my bees to be pollinating anything there !

But you are right about the hand pollination - staggering really.

 

[Brosville]

"Hey farmer farmer
Put away the D.D.T. now
Give me spots on my apples
But leave me the birds and the bees"
Joni Mitchell 1969.............

and from the same period (1962) just to show that "Plus ça change (plus c'est la même chose)", Rachel Carson's famous book "Silent Spring" was printed -
"Carson said that DDT had been found to cause thinner egg shells and result in reproductive problems and death. She also accused the chemical industry of spreading disinformation, and public officials of accepting industry claims uncritically"
Nearly 50 years on............

 

[Somerford]

the book 'Silent Spring' was discussed briefly when I was an agricultural student at the start of the 1990s....to be honest, it was seen by the 'Professors' as a book that was to be glossed over - probably because their 'research' was being funded by big agro-chemical companies I suspect and that it didn't really mean too much, and besides the carte blanch spray everything had long gone to be replaced with spray what you need, when critical population numbers of pests are reached....but the damn stuff is still as, if not more , leathal and there have been very few tests on how/what happens to the residues.....

....it's a sad case of the human race being party to it's own destruction - who cares about weapons when the biggest weapon is starvation and pollution ?

My biggest fantasy is to wake up in a time, probably 300-400 years ago where grass meadows were commonplace, there was little pollution other than woodsmoke from cooking fires and the land was covered in plentiful flowers for our bees. Oh to turn back time !

I'll start getting all emotional now , LOL,

regards

S

 

[Finman]

.
Many things are different now.

When Vietnam war was, no one knew that herbisides will violate human genome.

When nuclear bomb was tested soldiers were put walk on open field and get radiation.

Asbestos was everywhere in construction.

We know how dangerous is tobacco

*****

But we are able to turn 200 years back when we nurse top bar hives.

Soldiers being exposed to a nuclear explosion at the Nevada Test Site in 1951

.

 

[Hombre]

It's been reported that at least one of their 'top fruit' regions has been so contaminated with pesticides that there are no insects and no birds either.

I think it was said the region is similar in area to the Birtish Isles.

I can see why the Chinese gooseberry sold much better when it was called a Kiwi Fruit.

Maybe the lack of insects and birds are a message. Is fruit, hand pollinated or not, from this region really likely to be beneficial for continued good health?

More likely to be exported somewhere else for hard currency?

We seem to have strayed off topic somewhere.

 

[Tom Bick]

.

When nuclear bomb was tested soldiers were put walk on open field and get radiation.

Soldiers being exposed to a nuclear explosion at the Nevada Test Site in 1951

.

I have a friend he is a fairly silent member of this forum and he was a British gunny pig in our Pacific nuclear bomb tests when he was in the navy and he has fascinating stories of that time sitting on the deck of the ship with full flash clothing head in hands and as the bomb is exploded 3 miles up in the atmosphere and a good few miles from the ship seeing all the bones in his hand as if it was an ex ray. Then after 10 seconds being allowed to look up to the sky and he looked at the sun as it always shines and there was a 2nd sun hotter and brighter over his other shoulder. This sun dropped down to the ocean and despite the distance you could see the water boiling and sucking up tons and tons of water into the atmosphere forming the mushroom with every colour imaginable and lightning coming out of the cloud.

The ships stayed in the area for a few months despite originally expecting to stay for a couple of weeks I think he will forgive me in saying this but he has had many illnesses and conditions that doctors are difficult to explain.

 

[kazmcc]

The fella that runs the courses is Paul Peacock and his wife Diana (of 'home farmer'). They are both really lovelly people and it was one of his intro session delivered through omlet that got me interested!

Paul is the guy who is supporting our project, I agree, he is great, as is his wife. I would never have gone near a hive if it was not for these two people. They are amazing. I will be seeing them down at Abbey tomorrow probably.

 

[Mike a]

It's a shame they've tied themselves in to one particular company

I just need to correct or amend this.

"They" being the Co-op donated £250 to our association last year to help us put on a Honey & Bee Weekend event at a Country Park Farm. The money was given with just one rule - It must be used to promote Bees and Bee Keeping. The weekend event was great fun for all of us and the response from the general public was great so much so we are running it again this year in September near Southampton.

If you live near Southampton and want to pop along and support the event or just have a chat with some of the beeks send me a PM and I'll pass on more details as I don't wish to suffer the wraith of the all mighty delete button Admin has at his command.

 

[Haughton Honey]

I just need to correct or amend this.

"They" being the Co-op donated £250 to our association last year to help us put on a Honey & Bee Weekend event at a Country Park Farm. The money was given with just one rule - It must be used to promote Bees and Bee Keeping. The weekend event was great fun for all of us and the response from the general public was great so much so we are running it again this year in September near Southampton.

If you live near Southampton and want to pop along and support the event or just have a chat with some of the beeks send me a PM and I'll pass on more details as I don't wish to suffer the wraith of the all mighty delete button Admin has at his command.

Hey, that's great Mike.

It's good to see that there are some decent organisations about.

 

[kazmcc]

I am thinking of using one in a situation where school kids can peer into the hive. Almost using it like a Dartington, but not quite. Any ideas anyone?

Hi Paul...look what you've started, you created a monster Is this for our bees at the school? The kids can't wait. I'm learning loads on here and have soooooo many questions for when you bring our bees......you may need to bring ear plugs :S

Karen

 

[MuswellMetro]

Hi I'm learning loads on here and have soooooo many questions

Karen

REMEMBER ask two beekeepers a question get three answers

Beekeeping is not all science, much is more like folk law, what works for one beekeeper, does not work for another

Bees dont read books or this forum

 

[kazmcc]

Thanks Muswell, I know the best way to learn is to get hands on experience, but until I get that experience it can't hurt to swot up ( geddit ) and get as much info as I can about things can it? Besides, while I wait I will go crazy if I don't do something bee related.

Karen

 

[cohfee]

us too we run a community project but getting the kit and training out of the Coop is like drawing blood, they are fine if your a towni'e but us country yocals have no chance, thank the honey god for wooden hives, and NHS funding, good old NHS( get in quick B4 the two party goverment shut it all down)

Badger
derbyshire

 

[kazmcc]

Thanks Cohfee, I was thinking the same thing I will get the ball rolling tomorrow.