Lecture in Sussex

[Poly Hive]

I told you that in confidence Admin.....

PH

 

[Heather]

I will listen - but cannot agree with some research - I will politely ask why he is researching something like a waggle dance- when queens are failing and that seems to be sidestepped. Maybe I can point him in the right direction with my question.
Anyway - have you never felt like heckling in church- if a few more did then the 'Institution' may wake up and smell the coffee- join the 21st century

 

[Brosville]

I usually have a quiet smile that they'll all get a helluva shock when they arrive at heaven's gates to discover she's black!

 

[louiseww]

Have had some contact with this prof as an ex lecturer at Sussex and was not impressed. You can read on the Sussex university website the plan for the proposed research by his PhD student and I have to say it all seemed pretty obvious - like the siting of hives and the forage used by bees and the distances they travel. We know all of this already. When I asked him a few questions on email he told me that he did not subscribe to the view that monoculture is bad for bees and that they need a diverse range of forage! I am also not impressed with his approach to pesticides. Hope everyone gives him a tough questioning session and that there are lots and lots of very experienced beekeepers there.

 

[Poly Hive]

Now that is really good news. A compete numpty in tenure over the one decent grant the UK has. Only in the UK.

PH

 

[BKF Admin]

I asked one of the uk's most respected beekeepers a tough question at a county lecture regards the importation of queens(His book is in the top three best sellers on beekeeping ).

He replied with an answer that had nothing to do with the question I asked.

When I tackled him afterwards about why he never answered the question I asked him he replied "Sorry old chap I must of misheard what you were asking me".

Very convenient !!

Sometimes you have to pin the buggers down to get an answer,next time I will jump in and make sure the answer is relevent.

 

[Adam]

I listened to Prof Ratnieks describing the research on Waggle dance, he fudged the answer on why an automated system couldn't be used for determining the dance but most interesting was his hypothesis. As I understood it, his belief was bees have to travel further in summer, compared to spring for good forage. This was based on bees dancing close sources in spring and far sources in summer. He recommended we need to plant more summer flowering plants to "help the bees". Now he might be right, but I was concerned they seemed to have decided the answer before they asked the question.

So I asked "do you think in warmer temperatures, and better weather, bees can afford to travel further for better nectar. So it's not that they have to fly further it's becuase they can fly further for better nectar. I got an altogether unsatisfactory answer which didn't indicate they were trying to use their research to create a hypothesis but that they had the answer and needed the research to prove it, which is a completely different thing. If they could have seperated the "have" to fly a long way to get forage to "chose to" - I'd have been a lot more comfortable. Unfortunately he didn't seem to wish to discuss this any further.

Adam

Adam

 

[Heather]

Just bumping to remind anyone interested- tonight's lecture...may forgo yellow baseball hat- dont want to look a total .... Will be in cream jacket!!

 

[drstitson]

He needs to be recording what's being brought in to confirm the importance of the various feeding sites at various times of year. filming one bee talking about site X doesn't mean they are all heading there. also is all his work done using the one observation hive in his lab - if so he's limited by geography and the (this ones for you RAB) biodiversity of the surrounding few miles of countryside.

 

[Heather]

Well that was a bit of a waste- very little new info- and NO questions allowed. I spoke to him after- and asked why bother with waggle research when it wouldn't really enhance hive health and therefore hive strength -
much better to investigate why queens not lasting the course- he didnt seem aware of this - said he would report back to Uni and look into at some later date. I did try to push it-
What a ......

 

[tonybloke]

Well that was a bit of a waste- very little new info- and NO questions allowed. I spoke to him after- and asked why bother with waggle research when it wouldn't really enhance hive health and therefore hive strength -
much better to investigate why queens not lasting the course- he didnt seem aware of this - said he would report back to Uni and look into at some later date. I did try to push it-
What a ......

Bloody Typical!!

 

[Der Alte Fritz]

Apologies Heather, did not manage to get away from work in time to attend.
Sorry you had a wasted journey.

 

[Hombre]

Where was Karl Von Frisch when Francis was reinventing the wheel?
John Wilkinson

Probably ever so slightly deceased since mid 1982 John . . . Possibly even turning in his grave.

 

[drstitson]

although sorry to have not been there for moral support in many ways glad i wasn't feeling well enough to make the journey.