How many hives in UK

[Nellie]

It's publicly available information, it's in most peoples profile information

I think claims of decline, in the UK at least, are just flat out wrong, there's a massive increase, 3 fold over the past 2 years I believe.

I suspect that's a temporary thing and we'll see a huge crash in numbers over the next 3-5 years as those who wanted bees because its trendy get bored and those who think the choice of hive counts towards IPM lose their bees and get disheartened. After that we'll get more of an idea of what the actual colony numbers are.

 

[JonS]

Sorry, bit thick, what is IPM (it is Integrated Product Management in my day job)

 

[Nellie]

Integrated Pest Management. The variety of techniques you apply by which you attempt to keep the little s**ts Varroa under control.

 

[Hombre]

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

Snap, it's described as mandatory, but that doesn't mean that I have to subscribe with my heart and mind to BDI. Do the payouts make sense? I believe that they are on record?

What's the score in Scotland with last year's EFB/AFB, I don't think that they come under the BDI scheme, so was there compensation for the destroyed frames etc. and where did the compensation come from - a scheme, government or bite the bullet?

 

[tonybloke]

well, I paid the extra for 'up to 10 hives' BDI, I think the payout, although minimal, is worth a damn sight more than the cost of a jar of honey!

 

[Nellie]

Me too, peace of mind and all that.

 

[Chris B]

A typical BDI payout is 60 odd quid. If your bees are destroyed they don't qualify for compensation and they are what most people care most about. So I don't see any direct value in BDI personally.

However, BDI has now built up financial assets in the £500k range. It's earmarked for "research" I believe. If spent wisely perhaps it will have value after all.

 

[mbc]

Insurance companies are thieves
BDI prides itself on being the smallest insurance company in the country
Smallest company of thieves IMHO

 

[tonybloke]

A typical BDI payout is 60 odd quid.


So I don't see any direct value in BDI personally.

£5 investment, = £60 payout? seems a no-brainer

 

[Hivemaker.]

Never bothered with BDI same,thoughts as Chris B mentioned about it really.

 

[drstitson]

"Would become less confidential if the EU were to propose a 'hive subsidy'.....
Not that they ever would, of course"

It's probably just Britain that doesn't have EU sourced money for beekeepers - italian professionals only ever buy new gear as they get funding for it.

likewise the bulgarian chap advertising on fleabay recently.

 

[Hivemaker.]

It's probably just Britain that doesn't have EU sourced money for beekeepers - italian professionals only ever buy new gear as they get funding for it.


Sure we do,but it goes for research.

 

[onriver]

to pick up on an earlier response, is there any more than anecdotal evidence of feral colonies any more? I'm aware of one that was in a hollow tree near my allotment that didn't make it through the 2009 / 10 winter but no others - any research?

 

[oliver90owner]

Onriver,

Would that not mean the honey bee was just about extinct outside the caged colonies of the zoo keepers (sorry beekeepers)?

RAB

 

[onriver]

thats exactly my concern - are we talking about a few missed swarms doomed to varroa and associated pathogens or are there any viable wild bees out there?
One of the reasons I'm concerned is the idea of my queens needing up to 50 odd drones, ideally not all related, in order to widen the gene pool.
In my neck of the woods there aren't so many beekeepers and I understand we've lost that reservoir of 'wild' bees to make that happen, compared to 5, 10, 15 years ago?

 

[mbc]

It seems most wild / feral colonies died out with the advent of varroa - 92/93 in my area and there were no established wild colonies by 94/95

It's probably just Britain that doesn't have EU sourced money for beekeepers - italian professionals only ever buy new gear as they get funding for it.


I know of substantial subsidies in Spain just for maintaining colonies , (45E every six months / colony if my info was right ) but then they have a lot more agriculture dependant on pollination ( citrus, apples, melons, almonds etc.)
In california the orchardist pays the beekeeper for pollination, in Sbain the government pays the beekeeper to ensure adequate pollination for the orchardisd and in Britain the government taxes us to the hilt so they can pay enormous amounts to city banks and to fund the EU so the EU can support beekeepers on the continent.
Are we being sold out ?

 

[Poly Hive]

The EU bee money goes into gov coffers never to be seen again or is wasted on daft research.

PH

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

£5 investment, = £60 payout? seems a no-brainer

Rather depends on the likelyhood of a payout - if less chance than 12/1 you're on a loser - like every other insurance scheme its just a bet with the odds in their favour.

 

[hedgerow pete]

there are many feral colonies in and around where i live in brum, i see more every year, so where i live they must be swarming alot

 

[Somerford]

there are many feral colonies in and around where i live in brum, i see more every year, so where i live they must be swarming alot

or you're loosing swarms, Pete !!

S