Irish Beekeepers facing 'meltdown'

[beekeeping4you]

2013 !!!
"...Irish hive numbers have fallen below 10,000 from more than 20,000 before winter."
Any chance to recover from this situation?

http://www.independent.ie/irish-new...re-than-half-of-hives-wiped-out-29394236.html

 

[leonotron]

Aren't more people getting involved in beekeeping these days? A member of County Dublin Beekeepers recently decided to provide nucs for new members rather than concentrate on honey production.
People have said new beeks are giving up after losing a colony or two due to the previous couple of seasons but I'm new to it myself and understand I might lose my only colony this winter.

 

[Spikedog]

We are down 75% having brought all through to February - Have one prolific laying Queen remaining and the remnants of a Nuc being nursed (without much hope) along with some assist from stronger - plus a new additional Nuc. Annual replacements are becoming a financial drain... A suppliers market ... Like previous writer our Assoc is also focusing on supplying new members so perhaps with a relatively mild winter we can make some inroads in reducing the national Hive deficit.

 

[cork beek]

Lost 3 hives over winter (75% of my stock) but luckly i got on to OSR with my remaining hive. Decided to go with double brood as she was a good queen and she didnt let me down, She laid up both brood chambers really well so ive now split them just when she decided to go and swarm, no matter, she was 2 years old and since been replaced

Both hives now have new queens are now also on 3 supers each which im delighted with as i was only looking to build this year and any honey i got was a bonus!

 

[beeno]

Aren't more people getting involved in beekeeping these days? A member of County Dublin Beekeepers recently decided to provide nucs for new members rather than concentrate on honey production.
People have said new beeks are giving up after losing a colony or two due to the previous couple of seasons but I'm new to it myself and understand I might lose my only colony this winter.

Hi leonotron,
Very admirable of 'a member of County Dublin Beekeepers' you have hope they have lost their deposit. It is a very expensive hobby.

 

[Finman]

.
Serious question to those who has profession in it

"Three years ago I had 600 hives. Last winter I had 400. This year I'm down to less than 200. In 50 years of beekeeping, I've seen nothing like this," he said.

50 y beekeeping

 

[Chris Luck]

Another piece of junk journalism with a handful of unsubstantiated "sound bites" although I suppose there is bound to be some substance in the colony numbers.

Chris

 

[beekeeping4you]

Another piece of junk journalism with a handful of unsubstantiated "sound bites" although I suppose there is bound to be some substance in the colony numbers.

Hi Chris,
I fully agree, it is junk, but this type of 'journalism' is the one we got used to because it is the only one when it comes to articles about bees in the Irish press.

However, there is 'some substance in the colony numbers'. The official estimate for:
2011 was 24 000,
2012 it went down to 20 000,
and now in 2013 with 'below 10 000' it could mean there are only 6 500 left???

Regards
Reiner

 

[Hivemaker.]

Ireland needs restocking, next thing they will be importing package bees.

 

[For want of a better word]

Ireland needs restocking, next thing they will be importing package bees.

And may be decimated many fold over with an input of bee virus never the like seen in the island before.....................

perhaps we could also send them some snakes?



( bad attempt at irony!)

 

[blackcavebees]

Ireland needs restocking, next thing they will be importing package bees.

NO to imports Pete, lot of good work going on around the island with queen rearing groups (amm grafted from Galtee stock) opened home made mini nucs (your design) tonight, mated queens and eggs with queens only emerged 5th july. Shows what a bit of sunshine does in a land normally under a dark rain cloud.

 

[Finno]

I fully agree, it is junk, but this type of 'journalism' is the one we got used to because it is the only one when it comes to articles about bees in the Irish press.

Agreed!....I am tired of reading "cut and paste" articles in papers on both sides of the water.

P F

 

[Finman]

Ireland needs restocking, next thing they will be importing package bees.

It is not needed. Norton sells 10 000 queens and Irishmen split the hives.

Perhaps Irishmen have reared new queens allready.

But what a loss, all those rotten mouldy frames.
.

 

[psafloyd]

And may be decimated many fold over with an input of bee virus never the like seen in the island before.....................

perhaps we could also send them some snakes?



( bad attempt at irony!)

"...decimated many fold..."

Interesting use of the term, ICHI...

 

[Finman]

.
In USA disapearing bees have disappeared allready 8 years. They have extincted every year and humankind has died twice during that time.

Despite of 40% losses beeks make new hives all the time and compensate dead colonies.

It is easy there because they get more money from pollination tasks than from honey. It is easy to split big hives during the year when it starts from Florida and goes to north. Their active season is even 8 months.

.

 

[snoop]

The active season here ia about 5 months , this year it will be about 4 . Pollination contracts are scare around here.
Not really enough time to make up all the winter losses.

 

[Finman]

The active season here ia about 5 months , this year it will be about 4 . Pollination contracts are scare around here.
Not really enough time to make up all the winter losses.

I know that. This summer has been miserable and good weathers has been one week or two.

But however, is it 3 bad bee years now in British isles? Not funny. Huge losses to those who get living from beekeeping. It is not only "60% losses".

- But I am quite sure that beekeepers are loosing swarms more this year than what are hive losses. (except dead ones do not swarm)
]- If you use douple brood, you will have soon 100% rise in bee number.

 

[mbc]

It is not needed. Norton sells 10 000 queens and Irishmen split the hives.

Perhaps Irishmen have reared new queens allready.

But what a loss, all those rotten mouldy frames.
.

NIHBS will be making good efforts at filling any short fall, no need for thousands of Cypriot sun loving queen imports in the land of damp clouds and cold winds.

 

[Chris Luck]

What you have to remember is that Finland doesn't have native bees, it could influence a persons judgement?

Chris

 

[user 6228]

What you have to remember is that Finland doesn't have native bees, it could influence a persons judgement?

Chris

no they didnt get that far - not enough decidous trees