"Misusing Medicines and Substance Abuse" - NBU

[For want of a better word]

In August 2016, the BI inspected all my hives and took away about 0.5lb honey for analysis. Nothing untoward was found..

I suspect their main concern would be antibiotics..

Same here... the miles of printed analyses I had returned to me showed zero on everything that was tested for.
Also Trading Standards took a sample of our best Cornish honey to set the standard for the area for pollen analyses, as it was mooted that someone was buying in foreign stuff and flogging it of as "Local"

I think there are bigger Bio-Security problems with cross contamination from communal extracting etc etc..... rather than from the odd individual beekeeper placing a rhubarb leaf into a colony!

( Tin hat and full metal jacket and pants on for another deluge of hate-mail from someone who will no doubt take it on themselves to be the judge jury and hangman on anything I should dare to post about communal anything !!!)

Yeghes da

 

[Teemore]

Beekeepers should be aware that "hive scrapings" can and will be taken for analysis in addition to honey. If you have access to the last Bee Farmers journal, there is a write up by one of our forum members which includes his experience of samples being taken. From memory, his position is now that if anyone takes samples from any of his hives etc. he will ensure he has a paired sample for independent testing.
I must order some oxalic acid one of these days as I don't like the look of the "staining" on some of my wooden hive components.

 

[mbc]

Are the rules to protect bees or people?
.

The only people these rules protect are those with stocks and shares in companies who have licensed products.

 

[Teemore]

The only people these rules protect are those with stocks and shares in companies who have licensed products.

That increasingly appears to be the case.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Beekeepers should be aware that "hive scrapings" can and will be taken for analysis in addition to honey. If you have access to the last Bee Farmers journal, there is a write up by one of our forum members which includes his experience of samples being taken. From memory, his position is now that if anyone takes samples from any of his hives etc. he will ensure he has a paired sample for independent testing.
I must order some oxalic acid one of these days as I don't like the look of the "staining" on some of my wooden hive components.

That's interesting. In post #8 Amari quoted the regulations ("Generic substances such as oxalic acid should not be used and beekeepers are liable to prosecution if traces are found during routine honey sampling") and if he did not take that out of context and there are no further sections of the regs dealing with the hive, it would appear that they can only prosecute as a result of routine HONEY sampling, not hive scrapings.

It would be interesting if the matter of evidence based on hive scrapings ever came to court.

CVB

 

[madasafish]

That's interesting. In post #8 Amari quoted the regulations ("Generic substances such as oxalic acid should not be used and beekeepers are liable to prosecution if traces are found during routine honey sampling") and if he did not take that out of context and there are no further sections of the regs dealing with the hive, it would appear that they can only prosecute as a result of routine HONEY sampling, not hive scrapings.

It would be interesting if the matter of evidence based on hive scrapings ever came to court.

CVB

Define "routine honey sampling".

I suspect it's a loophole a bus can drive through...

Is a BI visit routine for the beekeeper? No. It is arranged in advance in most cases..usually - except for novices - brought on by disease either past or present in the area...

 

[peteinwilts]

The only people these rules protect are those with stocks and shares in companies who have licensed products.

The licensing costs are prohibitive to the smaller suppliers (and for some big ones).
It is becoming nothing to do with bee health, and little more than a money making racket for those that license.

 

[peteinwilts]

Define "routine honey sampling".

approximately 1lb of honey is taken from the brood box in late summer.

not too routine if you keep your head down.

 

[colinc]

The licensing costs are prohibitive to the smaller suppliers (and for some big ones).

It is becoming nothing to do with bee health, and little more than a money making racket for those that license.

There is a Northern Irish company working in animal health that seems to base its whole business plan on acquiring licenses for drugs that have been in common usage for a long time without a license. They are a very successful company and have now started to produce modified formulations of drugs that have recently lost their license.
I am not aware of them ever having developed a novel drug but it is incredibly profitable for them regardless.

Some of it is just very cynical.


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[Hivemaker.]

approximately 1lb of honey is taken from the brood box in late summer.

Could be the best part of half a Ton of honey then if from a bee farmer running a thousand hives.

 

[Beefriendly]

( Tin hat and full metal jacket and pants on for another deluge of hate-mail from someone who will no doubt take it on themselves to be the judge jury and hangman on anything I should dare to post about communal anything !!!)

Ican, spill the beans man....who on earth is giving you all this grief? Name and shame! Public hangings and all that.
Even better copy and past the messages, we could all do with a good laugh.

 

[peteinwilts]

Could be the best part of half a Ton of honey then if from a bee farmer running a thousand hives.

Mine was just from a random apiary, and 2 out of 11 hives (11 hives in the spiary) sampled.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Mine was just from a random apiary, and 2 out of 11 hives (11 hives in the spiary) sampled.

Not a very thorough test then, wonder they don't do TB testing on cattle using the same random tests.

 

[Finman]

That's interesting. In post #8 Amari quoted the regulations ("Generic substances such as oxalic acid should not be used and beekeepers are liable to prosecution if traces are found during routine honey sampling") .

CVB

Strange idea.

Oxalic acid is natural part of honey. Its percent varies really much. Varroa treatment rises content perhaps 5 %.

EU does not measure oxalic acid in honey, because it has no meaning.

Now British vets are going to catch non legal oxalic acid users.
You can use Italian oxalic acid.
.

2 hive owners will be in piss.
.
Who heck pays this drama?

 

[For want of a better word]

Strange idea.

Oxalic acid is natural part of honey. Its percent varies really much. Varroa treatment rises content perhaps 5 %.

EU does not measure oxalic acid in honey, because it has no meaning.

Now British vets are going to catch non legal oxalic acid users.
You can use Italian oxalic acid.
.

2 hive owners will be in piss.
.
Who heck pays this drama?

Finnie my sweet beeminding buddy....
We have Quangos to organise this sort of witch hunt, don't you know? ... and the grant funded execs all get massive salaries... a very British thing... what what what!!

Yeghes da

 

[colinc]

Not a very thorough test then, wonder they don't do TB testing on cattle using the same random tests.

Sounds like the inspector had used up his stash of honey.....TB testers would struggle to carry a cow home to the freezer ;-)


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[Finman]

Finnie my sweet beeminding buddy....
We have Quangos to organise this sort of witch hunt, don't you know? ... and the grant funded execs all get massive salaries... a very British thing... what what what!!

Yeghes da

Holy piss!

 

[Beefriendly]

Holy piss!

Indeed....should turn into wine very shortly.
BUT BUT BUT Icon is dodging the question and is not going to tell us who is sending him all these abusive and threatening e-mails. Usual suspects excepted.
Unless of course it is corrective paranoia and we are all out to get him

 

[Finman]

.
Remember Gandhi. They could not take salt from their own sea. So, you must march for your own oxalic acid. From where to where, I do not know.

 

[Stiffy]

Mine was just from a random apiary, and 2 out of 11 hives (11 hives in the spiary) sampled.

BI are there as far as I am concerned to check for brood disease, if asked to give them honey a 'polite' refusal will be forthcoming!
If food standards ask to test our honey, that's a different story.....
Have BI visiting soon and will ask if it's part of their remit
S