leave them to it

[oliver90owner]

Unfortunately, perhaps, but there do happen to be a lot of framed hives around, so the inference that Warres are relatively immune is rubbish.

Further, I think that most AFB outbreaks are close to the honey processing plants (and they would still be there and be a risk) and some of the others are due to contaminated honey jar disposal. Personally, If I kept bees within 5 miles of a processing plant, I would discount a Warre simply on those grounds.

Further, a hundred years or so ago, honey was not trafficked around the globe. The honey most got was local. We have a difference now. All these things need to be considered when choosing a hive system.

In nature colonies are usually separated by a good distance. Multiple colonies in an apiary are obviously more at risk of spreading any disease pathogens.

Some just 'cherry pick' and don't actually think for themselves. Not read the full link or the supposed diatribe either. I daresay Warre could come back and take the offenders to litigation....

RAB

 

[Stiffy]

I just love the way some people stick 'Natural' to the way they do things as if it suddenly makes it all 'happy clappy' and wonderful.......its a bit like adding 'Green' to a product name.
I have decided that I now no longer keep my bees in a 14 x12 its now a ' green' locally sourced sustainable cedar hive and the bees are sympathectically treated each year with a 'natural' thymol balm to sooth away the aches and pains.
Sarcastic Me ?

Cheers
S

 

[oliver90owner]

Sarcastic Me

Not at all, .... well,.... maybe a little.

But you are quite right about the whingers. I don't really care how beees are 'kept, be it skep, framed, or tbh. Just those that are 'holier than thou' with their principles. Might have a carbon footprint about size 15's, one can never tell.

Lots of things to discuss without that element being included.

Regards, RAB

 

[jimbeekeeper]

I just love the way some people stick 'Natural' to the way they do things as if it suddenly makes it all 'happy clappy' and wonderful.......its a bit like adding 'Green' to a product name.
S

SLightly off topic, but did anyone see the bcc program last night about E numbers?

People realy do forget that most E numbers are Natural and all those that claim to be E number free are very much miss guided.

It just reminded me about beekeeping and the claims of being all green and natural, and not wanting to use "chemicals"

 

[madasafish]

It just reminded me about beekeeping and the claims of being all green and natural, and not wanting to use "chemicals"
__________________

I don't use chemicals. Just thymol and vinegar and linseed oil and sugar and water and lemongrass oil.. and..

Which are all chemicals as anyone who understands O level chemistry knows..

I blame the education system and the arts graduates who know nowt...

 

[Brosville]

"I just love the way some people stick 'Natural' to the way they do things as if it suddenly makes it all 'happy clappy' and wonderful.......its a bit like adding 'Green' to a product name." - couldn't agree more - I've spent a great deal of time telling people the truth about false claims in the "renewables" industry, and give the occasional talk on "how not to get ripped off when going green"

I'm of the opinion that if you're going to "have a go" at something, some knowledge is invaluable ("know your enemy") or all you do is show your ignorance.

As for "natural beekeeping", it's a misnomer, but it's what the sort of beekeeping I do is now called (as pedants will cheerfully leap out of the woodwork yelling "no beekeeping is natural") - so what should we call it?
"Less invasive beekeeping" ,"Foundation-free beekeeping","Bee whispering"?........

 

[Skyhook]

http://www.dheaf.plus.com/warrebeekeeping/heaf_replies_to_davies.pdf- which was produced in response to a frankly deeply ignorant diatribe from someone who really should have learnt the facts first..........

Very interesting read, speaking as one who knows nothing about warre hives. Leaves some questions unanswered though... In particular, he talks about swarm control being easily practised, including AS- but he also talks about a key principle being that the hive is left undisturbed, apart from nadiring and removal of honey.

Hiow then do you know when the colony is preparing to swarm?

 

[Brosville]

A lot of people wanting to practise swarm control fit the hives with inspection windows. Personally, I don't see swarming as a problem or something to try to subvert

 

[newportbuzz]

is there a middle ground??? as i feel that going into the hives must be stressfull and disruptive for the bees. but not going in now with all these international deseases is irrisponsible to your duty to your bees.
Is there a way to manage your bees with minimal interfeirence . i have asked this a few times to more experienced beeks and the main response i got was watch entrance for signs of what hive is doing and preform AS early so that you dont have any further swarm control to do + bait hives . any other sujestions? (mainly with regards afb efb and the like?)

 

[Brosville]

please, read the linked article by Dr Heaf, which makes nonsense of "but not going in now with all these international deseases is irrisponsible to your duty to your bees"
-which clearly shows that the blame may well lie elsewhere..........
Much can be gleaned from watching the comings and goings, doing varroa counts, and small "partial" inspections (as are easily carried out on Kenyan TBHs).......

Here's the link again - http://www.dheaf.plus.com/warrebeekeeping/heaf_replies_to_davies.pdf

The best way of not spreading diseases and mites is to keep bees that have no diseases or mites to spread!........

 

[Stiffy]

If you took 'natural' beekeeping back to its origins I guess you would have to start with bees in trees with bears and other predators around breaking open hives on a regular basis. Bees have been around a lot longer than the ‘greenies’ and I am sure bees will still be on this planet long after they have all disappeared up their yurts !

I prefer to think of myself as a predator that helps the colony to stay in as good a condition as possible using whatever means I have at my disposal. At the end of each year and even though they also provide me with an enormous amount of pleasure and relaxation, I take a small amount of honey as a payment

I have no problem on how anyone wishes to keep bees Warre, National, Beehaus , Skoda or whatever box named as a hive you can think of but I do resent the implication that they are doing something ‘very special’ and without any repercussions.

As I was told at a very early age ‘it takes one rotten apple to spoil a barrel’. The barrel has been well and truly spoilt for beekeepers in this country as we have varroa and must now deal with consequences as best we can.

Cheers
S (the ignorant )

 

[Cazza]

Bees have been around a lot longer than the ‘greenies’ and I am sure bees will still be on this planet long after they have all disappeared up their yurts !
QUOTE]

How do you disappear up a yurt? Wonderful mental imagery is conjured up. Thanks Stiffy.
Cazza

 

[kazmcc]

Bees have been around a lot longer than the ‘greenies’ and I am sure bees will still be on this planet long after they have all disappeared up their yurts !
QUOTE]

How do you disappear up a yurt? Wonderful mental imagery is conjured up. Thanks Stiffy.
Cazza

I know, that was great

Before I found anything out about beekeeping, I thought it was one of those types of hobbies that hippies do, all natural and things. How wrong was I? Lol, in the run up to doing the intro to bee keeping, I was telling everyone not to kill a bee, trying to save any we found knackered on the path running up to school. When I was told about squishing queens and drone brood sacrificing I was shocked! I really do have to toughen up.

 

[Cazza]

Don't toughen up too much. Even after years of queen squishing it doesn't come easy, well not to me anyway.
C

 

[Brosville]

Being one of those dreadful "greenies" I would suggest another course of action - don't "toughen up" - listen to what your instinct is telling you! - I wouldn't dream of culling drone brood, and doing several other things regarded as "normal" by many of the "conventional beekeepers".....

 

[Cazza]

Being one of those dreadful "greenies" I would suggest another course of action - don't "toughen up" - listen to what your instinct is telling you! - I wouldn't dream of culling drone brood, and doing several other things regarded as "normal" by many of the "conventional beekeepers".....

I'm with you on drone brood culling and queen wing clipping too. I think I have greenish tendencies?
I was also taught by a very old school beek who regarded natural swarming as a way to increase his hives rather than something to frown upon.
C
C

 

[Brosville]

From where I'm standing, the very worst thing a "greenie" could be is mistaken, and is trying to tread gently on the planet unnecessarily when there's actually no hope for us as a species as there are far more thickerati shoving the throttle of the juggernaut heading for ecological armaggeddon to the floor......
So, at the very worst, they're pleasantly potty, perhaps mistaken or misguided, but what they do is for the purest and best of motives, to leave a planet behind that's fit to live on for the generations to come - so if anyone wants to "accuse" me of being a "greenie", I take it as a compliment...........(there's FAR worse things to be)

 

[jimbeekeeper]

is there a middle ground???

I would say that most keepers on this forum do follow the middle ground!

 

[kazmcc]

i don't know what heading I come under, I'm just a big softy Even my kids move snails out of the middle of paths after the rain after seeing me stopping to do it I would love to learn a way of bee keeping where I do as little harm as possible. As I am being taught at the moment, I pretty much have to go by the way our mentor does things. I think I will have a bit of a say in the future, and will probably learn to do it my way once I know the basics.

 

[clare p]

Hey Kazzmcc

Have a look at the natural beekeeping trust or biobees
There are lots of alternative methods and I think you can learn from both "ways" and take the bits that suit you (and your bees)

Love Clare