How many hives in UK

[JonS]

I have just been reading in BeeCraft an article about Argentina and Apimondia.

According to this, Argentina has 4.5 million hives and 28,000 registered beekeepers (an average of 160 hives apiece....yes I know it dont work like that).

Anybody any pointers to the equivalent figures for the UK.

Just interested....jon

 

[Poly Hive]

No one knows and if they claim they do they are being less than honest.

PH

 

[Black Comb]

BBKA has 20,000 members now (in latest news letter)
Add Scotland Wales and N. Ireland and we should at least equal that.

Doubt if they average 160 hives each though.

 

[Poly Hive]

Membership means nothing though. Not all are members. Not all members have hives.

???

PH

 

[Tom Bick]

Sorry but on a slightly different slant to the original question recently I had a conversation with a couple who had just returned from New Zealand and they met a bee farmer who told them he had 14000 hives.

So do we have any bee farmers with that many hives in the UK.

 

[Poly Hive]

No.

Highest figure I came across is Denrosa with 2.2k, and thingies in Cornwall or is it Devon with 2k.

PH

 

[Tom Bick]

Yes PH not surprised at that but was expecting more.

Having said that what the hell do I know with my poultry two hives the logistics must be immense

 

[sherwood]

Tom I am sure you dont keep chickens in your hives so I must presume you mean paltry not poultry.

 

[thada1]

Tom I am sure you dont keep chickens in your hives so I must presume you mean paltry not poultry.

as my kids might text/facebook, LOL. I'm too much of a chicken (!) to criticise other people's spelling (and I'm somewhat in awe of the occasional flame war that can break out on this forum).

 

[thada1]

No one knows and if they claim they do they are being less than honest.

PH

Knowing how unruly beeks can be, I don't disagree with the sentiment. For what it's worth, University of Reading claim that there are 83,000 managed colonies in the UK (summary in Torygraph here). The original research article is in IBRA journal (here), but I don't have a subscription to allow me to check the details.
Does seem like quite a small number (but then the majority of the 20,000 members of a national BKA have 1-3 hives).

 

[Nellie]

Knowing how unruly beeks can be, I don't disagree with the sentiment. For what it's worth, University of Reading claim that there are 83,000 managed colonies in the UK (summary in Torygraph here). The original research article is in IBRA journal (here), but I don't have a subscription to allow me to check the details.
Does seem like quite a small number (but then the majority of the 20,000 members of a national BKA have 1-3 hives).

Last figure I saw was 120,000 colonies just across membership of our favourite organisation, so if you include wales, scotland and northern ireland, plus unregistered beekeepers and the commercial guys, the number is much, much larger than that.

I think the massive increase in popularity in beekeeping is going to mask any indication in colony decline due to factors, primarily related to varroa, for several years and that's assuming that every new beekeeper is getting an imported queen, which I know isn't the case.

 

[drstitson]

The figure being bandied about at the varroa meeting yesterday was 250,000 i think.

 

[Poly Hive]

How can there be a decline in numbers when so many are starting up?

I think yes there was a decline, and it is now reversed.

Whether there will be another decline as starters become stoppers is another matter.

There have always been rises and falls in colony numbers over the years, it was just that this last one became a political football.

PH

 

[thada1]

The figure being bandied about at the varroa meeting yesterday was 250,000 i think.

that seems more sensible than the U of Reading number.

 

[MuswellMetro]

but then the majority of the 20,000 members of a national BKA have 1-3 hives).

but can you rely on that!! as 1-3 could just mean they don't pay the BDI extra insurance for more than 3 Hives

looking down our membership list quite a lot of members who are likely to have more than 3 hives have only paid the minimum BDI with the standard BBKA membership

I assume they think paying for extra hives then the limited compensation under BDI is not worth paying for

 

[oliver90owner]

when so many are starting up?

When, for some, it is like 'keeping pets' the figures will be skewed. Also covered in another thread somewhere recently, re declining bee numbers etc. You have to look at the number of feral colonies, not the number of managed colonies. After all bees are kept in regions where they would otherwise not be found 'in the wild'!

 

[Poly Hive]

Can't speak for down here but in Scotland there were not that many feral colonies, in fact on thinking of it I was only involved with one over some 15 years.

PH

 

[sahtlinurk]

how many beehives do we have here in the forum? and members? Doesn't show the big picture but gives at least the idea.

Lauri

 

[Poly Hive]

Ah and here is the rub.

Confidential info old bean, tax and all that....LOL

PH

 

[JonS]

Would become less confidential if the EU were to propose a 'hive subsidy'.....

Not that they ever would, of course

jon