Import of NZ bees into UK

[peteinwilts]

Sounds like a really bad idea to me - importation on any level is risky, never mind on a large scale like this.
I'd be interested to see what the Co-op's response to this will be. It would be a great shame if all the support they have voiced for british beekeeping turns out to be hollow.

I sent CO-OP's Plan Bee an email a couple of days ago. (before this thread was created) So far have still not heard an answer

 

[splottlands]

This is my first post to the forum so be gentle...I have no gloves...

I know im going to be shot down on this one

Could we not petition 10 downing street to make all queen imports illegal say for the next 10 years whilst we breed viable local native bees?

I raised an epetition last year but it got closed down during the election and it hasnt restarted. Obviously some big importers are going to get angry about loss of income but it is something they can do themselves.

 

[Russel]

Welcome splottlands just up the m4/a4042. Do these petitions ever get acted on?
The NBU/Defra(?) and BBKA may be the place to start but

 

[splottlands]

Russel

Already a Bibba member I just thought it may be something to do I mean Bees are a communal creature so why cant the beekeeprs get social orgainsed...

Im going to have a quiet qord with my local MP..

 

[greatbritishhoney]

As far as I remember, the original purpose of the No10 petitions website was that any petition acquiring more than 100,000 signatures would get a commons debate. I think we would struggle to get that many signatures. It wasn't a very good idea in the first place and it's unlikely that the current government will carry it on in the same form. I think the only petition that really steered governemnt policy was the one against road toll charging.

I agree that the best course is to get as many letters written to your MP as possible and to get a high-profile media campaign going. For this you need political, journalistic or celebrity support really.

 

[Poly Hive]

I am going to be brutally honest here and say what I think is pretty obvious to me at least.

This is not going to be a political success, esp at this point in time.

Knocking our mates the New Zealanders at this time? Umm no. If it was a nice nasty dictatorship then possibly depending in how much dosh the arms trade is worth then maybe.

So. If it won't wash politically I refer you to plan A. Which is by creating enough material in the UK by ourselves we reduce the imports to the point where the volume is so low it is just now worth the hassle of jumping through the Gov hoops.

Just scanning through the requirements for importing pollen was enough to send me to a dark room for a wee lie down with a very stiff drink, so what is it like to bring in livestock?

If the game ain't worth it, it dies at the roots level.

KISS.

PH

 

[Somerford]

On the point raised about bait hives.....Why would you want any of the crap these bees will bring in ???

They are not suited to our climate, or forage, and when crossed with your own (AND THEY WILL DO THIS) they will create nasty agressive bees that will seriously dampen anyone's interest in beekeeping.

Torch the lot of them I say

S

 

[Poly Hive]

Because a swarm is a free colony and of course can be re-queened.

Bee in your bonnet?

PH

 

[Gardenbees]

They are not suited to our climate, or forage, and when crossed with your own (AND THEY WILL DO THIS) they will create nasty agressive bees that will seriously dampen anyone's interest in beekeeping.

S

An excellent point - and really frustrating for everyone who strives to produce healthy, good-natured, well-adapted local bees.

I picked up two nucs from nearby Oxfordshire last year, both with lovely-natured Buckfast-type bees that don't seem to mind grotty weather and have put up with some hasty handling. They have held out well against varroa, and have done well over the winter too. They would be perfect for new beekeepers. They are just the sort of bee, though, which would *not* be improved by the newcomers.... come the second or third year of beekeeping, and POW!, new queen, new attitude, and a rude shock for the unsuspecting beek (and possibly their neighbours, too... another pitfall).

Some social animals are definitely smarter than others, and humans don't come out of the equation looking good in this instance.

 

[Norton]

come the second or third year of beekeeping, and POW!, new queen, new attitude, and a rude shock for the unsuspecting beek (and possibly their neighbours, too... another pitfall).

This of course after the addition of unselected genes from the general UK gene pool - yet you insist on laying the blame at the door of the imported genetic material, which in the majority of cases. is the result of years of selection and breeding - you need to take a lateral view of the situation.
Norton

 

[bee crazy]

i'm not the best at writting but this is what i wrote to get the ball rolling


To whom it might concern

Hello

My name is James Howlett and I'm a Beekeeper in Glouscestershire i have recently heard of a large consignment of bees (300 packages) of imported bees being brought into the UK by the co-op. This is a huge concern for all beekeepers in Gloucestershire and the UK for a number of reasons the first reason is disease being transferred from bees from NEWZELAND which have a number of diseases that the UK dose not have. the next concern is the cross breeding of these bees with the some what native bee of the UK as any experienced bee keeper will tell you when our native bee breeds with these foreign unacclimatised bees it inevitably breeds aggressive nasty uncontrollable bees which is not a very good thing for the future of British bee keeping.

I really hope you can see my concern there allot of beekeepers who have dedicated there lives to breeding a native UK bee which a feel the co-op are going to completely destroy.

Also I'm quite aware the co-op might not no the or-gin of the bees they have purchased and if this is the case then i think they should find out i feel it's a bit hypocritical of the co-op to have a website to protect bees then do something like this. please can you tell me who your supplier is?

I will say that I'm not the sort of person to let something like this go unnoticed and will do everything necessary to stop this happening so i invite you to respond to this E-mail or alternatively you can come to the BEE FORUM and tell everyone what it is that the CO-OP intend to do
Beekeeping Forum

Bee Improvement & Bee Breeding. The forum to chat about improving and breeding Native British bee's,apis mellifera mellifera. looking for Native Dark Queen. ...

www.beekeepingforum.co.uk

I await your Reply

Regards

James

 

[oliver90owner]

As far as I recall, this thread started about the importation of whole colonies (albeit as packages).

I wonder how many beekeepers would give up the craft if, say, the SHB was imported and the problem became endemic? That may not be an issue here but I could see the number of colonies halving over a short time scale. Some bee farmers would crumple under the extra burden of another exotic pest.

Biosecurity, to avoid the following risks, would then, in hindsight, have been a beeter policy than 'having a contingency plan'

Further, I would think a ring of bait hives might help the contingency plan, rather than the problem spreading further, more quickly. But by then I suspect all would be lost if any ensuing problem were found in the swarms from the offending colonies.

So I say, don't take your eye off the ball. Packages are far more likely to be a problem than quens with a few attendants.

RAB

 

[Headnavigator]

I sent CO-OP's Plan Bee an email a couple of days ago. (before this thread was created) So far have still not heard an answer

Me too, ditto emailed them yesterday, no response as yet - why do they leave a 'Contact us here . . .' if they are not going to respond. An automated 'thanks for yr email will reply shortly' costs nothing and would have shut me up for at least five days.

 

[Norton]

This is a huge concern for all beekeepers in Gloucestershire and the UK for a number of reasons the first reason is disease being transferred from bees from NEWZELAND which have a number of diseases that the UK dose not have.

Can you inform us what diseases these are?
Thanks
Norton
(I'm against the import of packages from New Zealand)

 

[Russel]

Not a complete list but as far as I can tell NZ pests and diseases are unless someone knows better?
Yes some are with us now but.....

AFB.
Varroa.
Nosema ceranae.
Small hive beetle.
chronic bee paaiysis
kashmir bee virus
black queen Gel1 Virus
sacbrood virusIII
Tracheal mite
Amoeba
Wax moth.
Chalkbrood
Bee louse
Asian mite

 

[Chris B]

I seem to remember NZ have got their AFB incidence down to about half a percent i.e. one colony in every 200. (Sorry I can't find the reference without a bit of digging). I've heard of at least one large scale NZ beekeeper who deals with AFB himself (probably illegally) so perhaps the true AFB rate is higher.
We already have AFB in the UK and a package is lower risk but it's a recipe for disaster if only one colony succumbs and spreads to all the others in a densely populated area. I hope the beekeepers managing these imports are on the ball.

The other concern is SHB. It's not been discovered in NZ, but that doesn't mean it's not there. How trustworthy is the biosecurity? I'm also still very concerned about Norton's 352 "phantom nucs" which potentially show how red tape and paperwork can be used to "launder" bees from an unknown source. At best it makes our own border controls look incompetent.

 

[Norton]

First we get a posting that Apis cerana has been found in New Zealand and now we get a post that they have SHB - both of which are incorrect. Can you please be more responsible with your posts that they contain the correct information. If in doubt ..leave it out!
Best regards
Norton.

 

[fox403]

u can argue all day what diseases they have and what they dont, at the end of the day we as beekeepers should be trying to help are local bee and push out all imports as fast as possible, for the ones who are trying to breed apis mellifera mellifera my hat goes off to them, im not interested in more honey or whats more friendly i want to do whats rite!

 

[hedgerow pete]

thats a good response foxy.

whilst i think everyone is great for fighting the good fight etc, i just dont think polititions think or can be trusted, i have sent my emails today and i am pretty sure a person no where near the polititions involved will delete first thing on monday morning.

when you look back at imports and the finger of fate can start to be pointed towards brother adam for the import of varroa, and he realy did know his stuff, i cant see anyone employed in the customs office is going to carefull examine every single bee for shb or any thing else come to that.

I can see nuc imports being bad news.
just to confuse i do love the queens that NZ and even norton bee imports. my newbes have had some fantasic colonies from those queens, and fair play thats a lot of hard work and effort that I am not making and they are!!

poly hive is right , the only way to kill off imports is if they are not needed

 

[peteinwilts]

On the point raised about bait hives.....Why would you want any of the crap these bees will bring in ???

They are not suited to our climate, or forage, and when crossed with your own (AND THEY WILL DO THIS) they will create nasty agressive bees that will seriously dampen anyone's interest in beekeeping.

Torch the lot of them I say

S

I would catch and requeen. I'd probably put them in another location well away from my existing bees until I know they are clean.

No bee terrorism please! I don't want to catch you leaving jars of open 'produce of more than one country' supermarket honey near the site!