message getting through...

[Heather]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00g4gq4/Farming_Today_30_12_2008/

 

[Polyanwood]

Thanks for posting that Heather. Enjoyed it. It suggested that everyone understands why it is important that bees don't die out, but seems to me that lots of people don't.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

For those of us that do not have or do not want to download the BBC i player, can someone give and Executive summary?

 

[BKF Admin]

I can upload it if you want.

I could not live without iplayer catchup

 

[Polyanwood]

Biased Executive Summary:

Somewhere up North in England we have one professor APIARIST. The only one in the uk. He sounds nice, but talks very slowly. Is that because of him or because of what he thinks of his audience?

The story is that 1 in 3 colonies died out last year, and probably this year. Prof says 2 bad years in a row for beekeeping weather. He is not optimistic regarding colony loss this Winter. Rowse sponsor him to do research. He needs more money though.

Varroa is bad, but treatable. Remember there are 4 notifiable diseases in the UK:
AFB,EFB,SHB and Tropilaelaps.

Re: the clearing of the scourge of varroa: His lab have done research with liquid nitrogen, killing brood to select for genes with hygienic behaviour. (This research not very convincing to me)

They go out to the hives; green with black lids. Don't bang them or you'll get stung. Stand to the side.

They look at brood. Give some information on the life cycle of the honey bee. Talk about what bee inspectors do. (Make them sound good)

Wrap up with prof being politely authoritative. He doesn't think bees will die out, but he is certain they are in trouble. He talks about the Westminster protest and says that we need much more money for research. ?8M please.

 

[BKF Admin]

So is he saying the goverment must fund or buy more Rowse Honey

 

[Polyanwood]

Forgot to say that Tim Lovett (BBKA President) was on at the end, but he was being measured and not scaremongering.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Thanks Polyanwood, I enjoyed reading it. But all I had was this vision of one of my old uni lecturer, who actually used to do stuff for the OU back in the 70's. Things is when I was at Uni 1994 -99 he still wore the same clothes

I am very dubious when a large company like Rowse ( if you can call them a large company) sponsor this type of research, because they are always doing it for themselves and not the public image they portrait.

Do they not import most of their honey anyway? So could this not bee seen as a reasons for them to import more (cheaper, poorer) honey into the UK. Their reason "the poor British beekeepers have a problem and can not supply us with the honey we need?"

It reminds me of another cosy relationship! (tale wagging dog).

 

[Heather]

I felt it was a measured response, - yes - would like more details re Rowse and their input, financially against self interest- but money is money - we should grab it -and then raise our standards to promote our own honey.
Use them as they use us.

How do they ever come out with these numbers 1 in 3 hives lost - when NOBODY knows how many we all have anyway.
Maybe a thread in March to admit and log our losses may be a start

 

[BKF Admin]

Maybe a thread in March to admit and log our losses may be a start

Great idea.

I will start a thread and lock it until members start counting any winter losses.
Maybe we could add Queen age/treatment location etc to it.

 

[grizzly]

i enjoyed that, shame they gave those *** ******* at Rowse a mention.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

Great idea.

I will start a thread and lock it until members start counting any winter losses.
Maybe we could add Queen age/treatment location etc to it.

I also think it is a good idea, but I also hope that it has a VERY low number of posts, I for one hope I do not have to be posting there!!!

Good luck everyone for 2009

 

[Polyanwood]

I guess we have to promise to post whether we are snivelling because we have lost bees, or whooping with joy because they have all got through.... otherwise it would not be helpful in giving a count of % of colonies that have survived.

Ideally you would get beekeepers to be clear about number of colonies they have now, as this would make it less likely that people would amend this after the fact.

Other things start to get more subjective.. queen age possibly OK, but some people (the swarm collectors who do not replace) won't know. Treatments can be done as per label or not and this is likely to affect how well they work.

 

[Chris B]

i enjoyed that, shame they gave those *** ******* at Rowse a mention.

Don't knock Rowse. They might import honey from all over the planet, but do you know what, there are "beekeepers" who do the same and sell it at farmers markets labelled as "produce of wherever". They create an illusion that their dozen or so hives create tons and tons of honey each year. (Does anyone remember Apiculture Daalder advertising bulk honey in BBKA News for years?) Rowse are straight about what they do.
Of course Rowse will expect a good return on their ?100k investment. It's called a win-win scenario. (I'm not sure they spent the ?100k the best way but that's another story).
And ?100k dwarfs the ?16k agro-chem money, making the whole pesticide endorsement thing look cheapskate, which it is.

 

[Heather]

And...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00g502w/Irreplaceable

 

[Heather]

And radio 2!! Lisa Tarbuck- prime time- 10am, all conversation was interspersed with bees, keeping, problems arising, pollen lack and the consequences...

 

[mikethebee]

Polyanwood
Varroa is bad, but treatable. Remember there are 4 notifiable diseases in the UK:
AFB,EFB,SHB and Tropilaelaps.

SORRY wrong there are no known SHB or Trops in the UK
So why waste money treating it IN uk Go to the MAIN source and get first hand knowledge.

Chris B
but do you know what, there are "beekeepers" who do the same and sell it at farmers markets labelled as "produce of wherever"

Do you know Weights and Measures /Trading Standerds visit FM Car boot sales Village Fates? High street shops, TO buy from stall holders products to have analyzed at there labs BIG FINES?
SO IT WOULD BE VERY DODGY.

200 imported queens are now in from Slovenia picked up from airport last night 24 july

all the best mike easybee