Front Cover of Welsh Beekeeper

[Anduril]

How do you suppose you can achieve anything Bee related when you have those who feel disease and mite control is contrary to natural selection? Was lectured on it last weekend by someone who has a really nasty hive that they're too scared to go near, thinks [hopes] its superseded and this will sort it out and doesn't treat their bees.

With this kind of keeper of bees there is no chance of agreeing to anything. Or indeed, improving anything!!!

It is also down to the associations to start breeding programmes and for those who have nasty hives to come forward for requeening, it would also encourage people to remain in the craft.

 

[beebopper]

The wbka is an umbrella for its constituent associations, all of which are individually representative of their members, the vast majority of whom are against importing bees, this I believe is a documented fact. What more justification should the mouthpiece of the wbka have for representing this watered down recommendation on the front of their magazine?
I suppose it should bow to the few who import directly and believe they're above the common herd in your opinion, or the pressure from defra to keep open borders to Europe or succumb to the lobbyingof the very few who make a living importing bees, how wicked of the wbka to actually try and be representative of the majority of its membership, they must have a trolling Taliban agenda or somesuch.

You are assuming people who keep anything other than local/native are in favor of importing. There are plenty of UK suppliers who produce UK queens that not 'local/native' or whatever.

 

[beebopper]

How do you suppose you can achieve anything Bee related when you have those who feel disease and mite control is contrary to natural selection? Was lectured on it last weekend by someone who has a really nasty hive that they're too scared to go near, thinks [hopes] its superseded and this will sort it out and doesn't treat their bees.

With this kind of keeper of bees there is no chance of agreeing to anything. Or indeed, improving anything!!!

Had similar recently. Should people be able to just show the cash and become a keeper of bees - maybe some regulation is needed if we are to get anywhere.
Not holding my breath.

 

[Hachi]

It is also down to the associations to start breeding programmes and for those who have nasty hives to come forward for requeening, it would also encourage people to remain in the craft.

Don't disagree at all but...…..

 

[Anduril]

Don't disagree at all but...…..

there are always buts.

 

[WoodenBeam]

You’ve all missed the scam........

“Source established colonies from as near to your home apiary as possible”

This is like selling homing pigeons time and time again!!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

someone doesn't understand how bees work

 

[mbc]

You are assuming people who keep anything other than local/native are in favor of importing. There are plenty of UK suppliers who produce UK queens that not 'local/native' or whatever.

Not really, the argument against importing becomes much weaker when you're talking about keeping non native subspecies of honeybee.

 

[beebopper]

Not really, the argument against importing becomes much weaker when you're talking about keeping non native subspecies of honeybee.

The discussions on this are conflating 2 separate issues which is the point.

• Importing vs UK source
  
• Native vs Carnica/buckfast/ligustica/others

If you get to this then there is simply not the supply (no where near must be at least 3 orders of magnitude too small) of native queen for UK beekeepers so your whole paradigm falls apart unless allot of people stop keeping bees.

Having thought about it maybe conflating 3 issues really - the third being;

Local vs anywhere in UK

 

[For want of a better word]

Er, please explain them to me then?

Because I think the complete opposite and find that the Buckfast queens I use outperform any generation of local bee, around here anyway.

There you go a numpty that seems to have too little experience of ALL kinds of bees to get out the THICK PADDLE as one forum member once called it !!"

Yeghes da

 

[For want of a better word]

I prefer to provide my own analysis than listen to somebody else's propaganda.

OK you do not like to listen to the facts... none as deaf as those who will not listen!!

Yeghes da

 

[BMH]

That's not to say my view is correct or valid, is it...

I haven't published that view on the front of a national magazine without any justification.

It's quite different

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[BMH]

OK you do not like to listen to the facts... none as deaf as those who will not listen!!



Yeghes da

I do like to listen (and read).

I would have welcomed an article providing rational justification for the order on the front page.

So come one then, convince me...

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[BMH]

There you go a numpty that seems to have too little experience of ALL kinds of bees to get out the THICK PADDLE as one forum member once called it !!"



Yeghes da

Bit aggressive dont you think?

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[BMH]

There you go a numpty that seems to have too little experience of ALL kinds of bees to get out the THICK PADDLE as one forum member once called it !!"



Yeghes da

Hit a nerve?

I'm sure there are more productive, disease resistant, gentle queens than the ones that I use.

I'm happy to try them out no matter what race.

In not fixed on a particular type of bee and happy to be proven wrong.

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[B+.]

OK you do not like to listen to the facts... none as deaf as those who will not listen!!

What facts? From what I understand, none were presented

 

[Anduril]

The front cover is a recommendation by the WBKA, but in reality it is down to supply and demand. How many AMM's are sold nationwide, there appears to be a waiting list in some areas and others only produce a certain number per year. How many overwintered queens are sold? Imports are bought because they are available early in the season. You just have to look at certain websites that sell out quickly to see that there is a demand. Similar situation to the US, sourcing queens early from the South or wait for local queens. Also similar to honey sold in the UK, we eat more honey than can be provided by UK beekeepers. If we stopped imports overnight then we would be in a similar position to when varroa came over and beekeepers left the craft. AMM Breeders need to be ready for the challenge and up their game. It is not only a conflict between AMM, Buckfast and AMC etc., because we can source AMM from abroad, you just have to look at certain sites.

 

[For want of a better word]

The front cover is a recommendation by the WBKA, but in reality it is down to supply and demand. How many AMM's are sold nationwide, there appears to be a waiting list in some areas and others only produce a certain number per year. How many overwintered queens are sold? Imports are bought because they are available early in the season. You just have to look at certain websites that sell out quickly to see that there is a demand. Similar situation to the US, sourcing queens early from the South or wait for local queens. Also similar to honey sold in the UK, we eat more honey than can be provided by UK beekeepers. If we stopped imports overnight then we would be in a similar position to when varroa came over and beekeepers left the craft. AMM Breeders need to be ready for the challenge and up their game. It is not only a conflict between AMM, Buckfast and AMC etc., because we can source AMM from abroad, you just have to look at certain sites.

Beekeepers need to change the way they think.. at the end of the day!

 

[Beefriendly]

Getting some to think in the first place would be a massive step forward.

 

[Finman]

.
What other domestic animals are locally adapted in Britain, and near your home?