Getting Going

[Apple]

If you join your local association you could also get limited benefits such as insurance both for the bees and yourself such as public and product liability

Can of worms that one!

 

[Swn58]

Covid should be somewhere near being under control. Enrol on the course ... that will give you some basic knowledge to make some initial decisions.

Yes.....I did a course many years ago......it was useful. We were up close and personal with the bees. Strangely enough, a couple of people could not handle that from the off and one other realised that it might not be for them. There were ten on the course.

 

[Swn58]

If you join your local association you could also get limited benefits such as insurance both for the bees and yourself such as public and product liability

Can of worms that one!

I was forced out of the South Birmingham branch when they took my money, denied I was even a member, promised to rectify everything, then totally ignored me. They still owe me membership and insurance for 2016. I had been a member since 2014. Helped at the honey show and everything. Be careful with 'amateurs' who think they are 'the beez kneez.' They can be worse than any allotment committees. There's another story! I insure through the BBKA at the moment.

 

[Apple]

I was forced out of the South Birmingham branch when they took my money, denied I was even a member, promised to rectify everything, then totally ignored me. They still owe me membership and insurance for 2016. I had been a member since 2014. Helped at the honey show and everything. Be careful with 'amateurs' who think they are 'the beez kneez.' They can be worse than any allotment committees. There's another story! I insure through the BBKA at the moment.

All clubs are the same!
Best bee insurance if you do not have the Beefarmers' Association one is NFU Mutual... but you have to cherrypick the cover you need.
BBKA standard with membership seems just about OK for over gate sales... but can of worms if selling to third party, and not accepted by majority of Farmers style markets.
See many insurance providers have removed consequential losses due to pandemics from policies...... High Court action pending!!!

Nadelik Lowen

 

[Newbeeneil]

All clubs are the same!
Best bee insurance if you do not have the Beefarmers' Association one is NFU Mutual... but you have to cherrypick the cover you need.
BBKA standard with membership seems just about OK for over gate sales... but can of worms if selling to third party, and not accepted by majority of Farmers style markets.
See many insurance providers have removed consequential losses due to pandemics from policies...... High Court action pending!!!

Nadelik Lowen

I enquired regarding insurance from NFU Mutual last year, they wanted £700+ for a hobby business.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Cr

I enquired regarding insurance from NFU Mutual last year, they wanted £700+ for a hobby business.

Crikey, the op is going to need half hour just to read all the replys.

 

[Pembroke]

If you join your local association you could also get limited benefits such as insurance both for the bees and yourself such as public and product liability

Can of worms that one!

Doh, should have looked at OP's location before writing that part. All I can do is say from experience and I get all those insurances from the Welsh BKA via my local association. I've used that insurance to book venues before and they've been fine with it. I had assumed that all English BKA's get a similar deal from the BBKA ?

 

[Murox]

Cr

Crikey, the op is going to need half hour just to read all the replys.

I think we've frightened Apis Doff away.

 

[North End Bees]

I enquired regarding insurance from NFU Mutual last year, they wanted £700+ for a hobby business.

Having never had cause to claim on the BDI, what are the shortfalls (or the can of worms mentioned earlier)?
And how does the NFU Mutual insurance compare in what it covers?

Obviously BDI subs are paid at the same time as club subs but it's not administered by the club, who presumably wouldn't get involved with any claim?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Having never had cause to claim on the BDI, what are the shortfalls (or the can of worms mentioned earlier)?
And how does the NFU Mutual insurance compare in what it covers?

Obviously BDI subs are paid at the same time as club subs but it's not administered by the club, who presumably wouldn't get involved with any claim?

BDI and public liability insurance are totally separate things.
BDI compensation is on a sliding scale and depends on the SBI's opinion on the state of your kit - if you have brand new kit you get a higher payout (still not the full worth in most cases) than if you have something that by burning made an improvement, and yes, your local BKA has nothing to do with the insurance

 

[North End Bees]

BDI and public liability insurance are totally separate things.
BDI compensation is on a sliding scale and depends on the SBI's opinion on the state of your kit - if you have brand new kit you get a higher payout (still not the full worth in most cases) than if you have something that by burning made an improvement, and yes, your local BKA has nothing to do with the insurance

Ah ok thanks. So the NFU mutual is aimed particularly at the public liability side?

 

[madasafish]

Obviously BDI subs are paid at the same time as club subs but it's not administered by the club, who presumably wouldn't get involved with any claim?

I claimed on BDI for destroying fames and foundation for AFB. (Plus a few CBs)
Destruction authorised and supervised by Bee Inspector (He also sterilised hives through flaming), He listed all frames destroyed and state of them.
Copy report to BDI who based their payout on Inspector's report.

 

[North End Bees]

I claimed on BDI for destroying fames and foundation for AFB. (Plus a few CBs)
Destruction authorised and supervised by Bee Inspector (He also sterilised hives through flaming), He listed all frames destroyed and state of them.
Copy report to BDI who based their payout on Inspector's report.

That all sounds very reasonable.
So what's the can of worms, mentioned earlier by @Apple ?

 

[Apple]

I claimed on BDI for destroying fames and foundation for AFB. (Plus a few CBs)
Destruction authorised and supervised by Bee Inspector (He also sterilised hives through flaming), He listed all frames destroyed and state of them.
Copy report to BDI who based their payout on Inspector's report.

So ... what did you spend your six shillings on?

 

[madasafish]

That all sounds very reasonable.
So what's the can of worms, mentioned earlier by @Apple ?

I have no idea. It was somewhat traumatic as I had to kill five colonies (or was it six? it was 2015 so I forget) using petrol .That was not very nice. And dig a big hole to burn everything in -(no burning until BI arrived a week later)


Fortunately no further outbreaks... inspected for another two years by BIs.

The outbreak was traced to hives in local N Trust gardens close by . Beekeeper had AFB at hives at home , infected hives at NT, then abandoned them and my bees robbed out the dead hives. (Confirmed by DNA testing of AFB)

So ... what did you spend your six shillings on?

From memory it was approx £120.

 

[North End Bees]

I have no idea. It was somewhat traumatic as I had to kill five colonies (or was it six? it was 2015 so I forget) using petrol .That was not very nice. And dig a big hole to burn everything in -(no burning until BI arrived a week later)

Fortunately no further outbreaks... inspected for another two years by BIs.

The outbreak was traced to hives in local N Trust gardens close by . Beekeeper had AFB at hives at home , infected hives at NT, then abandoned them and my bees robbed out the dead hives. (Confirmed by DNA testing of AFB)

That sounds a dreadful experience. For those of us who've not had to suffer an AFB outbreak, there by the grace of God so to speak.

Unfortunately there is nothing we can do to prevent people setting up hives and then abandoning them when they get problems.
The payout of £120 sounds paltry but good to hear you were able to bounce back.

 

[madasafish]

That sounds a dreadful experience. For those of us who've not had to suffer an AFB outbreak, there by the grace of God so to speak.

Unfortunately there is nothing we can do to prevent people setting up hives and then abandoning them when they get problems.
The payout of £120 sounds paltry but good to hear you were able to bounce back.

Thanks
IIRC about three hives were TBHs.. So no payment for frames and foundation - the bars themselves cost about 50p each but there were 30 and 50 per hive. So minimal compensation for those.

I was left with one Langstroth hive (I had been converting from TBH to Lang). I let it swarm deliberately and added another 4 colonies that year . (The AFB was detected in May - it had overwintered after my last inspections August so plenty of time for swarming). And friends for the Association very kindly gave me two National hives FOC which I converted to Langs.

So I ended 2015 with 7 hives - which is where I was end 2014 .

Edit:
Some of the hives I had end 2015 were really quite horrible bees but beggars can't be choosers. That was the only time I just wanted bees and did not really care about temperament. Next year I requeened the worst with bought in queens.. it would take years to start breeding my own better ones and I have a finite lifespan.

 

[Murox]

Thanks
IIRC about three hives were TBHs.. So no payment for frames and foundation - the bars themselves cost about 50p each but there were 30 and 50 per hive. So minimal compensation for those.

I was left with one Langstroth hive (I had been converting from TBH to Lang). I let it swarm deliberately and added another 4 colonies that year . (The AFB was detected in May - it had overwintered after my last inspections August so plenty of time for swarming). And friends for the Association very kindly gave me two National hives FOC which I converted to Langs.

So I ended 2015 with 7 hives - which is where I was end 2014 .

Edit:
Some of the hives I had end 2015 were really quite horrible bees but beggars can't be choosers. That was the only time I just wanted bees and did not really care about temperament. Next year I requeened the worst with bought in queens.. it would take years to start breeding my own better ones and I have a finite lifespan.

Thanks for sharing all that; rather puts things into perspective.

 

[Levitt53]

Have a look at the BIBBA website. There are lots of zoom webinars coming up and lots for beginners.

 

[StephenT]

Have a look at the BIBBA website. There are lots of zoom webinars coming up and lots for beginners.

Do you have to be a member to join these webinars?