Moved my bees to ROTHERHAM - 187 miles!

[Hachi]

I didn't miss your point your delivery could have better thought out. Disease management is a key part of a Beeks husbandry skills but in my part of the world we bang on about it more than we do teaching new Beeks the craft. To me that's akin to teaching a pilot how to deal with a crash landing before you teach him/her to fly!

Lets not hijack the OP's thread start a fresh one masterBK and I will gladly provide comment.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

How do you think Varroa spread so rapidly around the UK ?

not from people moving house but from drones moving house.

 

[masterBK]

Certainly drones spread Varroa but in a gradual sort of way. However where the presence of the mites suddenly appeared 50 miles or more from the nearest infested area this cannot be put down to just the drones eg Varroa appeared in North Yorkshire before it occurred in West and South Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire probably as a result of migration to the Moors by beekeepers outside Yorkshire. Beekeepers are the main agent in spreading notifiable diseases as I'm sure the NBU will confirm. One beekeeper moving a colony into Cumbria from Yorkshire brought in the first cases of EFB in the area they had seen for a long time. All I ask is that people do the obvious and check their bees over for EFB and AFB before they move their bees into a disease free area. If they are beginners then it is simple enough to ask someone who knows what they doing to do it for them. It is irresponsible not to.

 

[pargyle]

Life moves on PArgyle The fires of Hell have been replaced by Shopping from Hell: the canal has figs and other exotic fruits growing beside it; and water lilies in it as well as fish and pleasure narrow boats. I believe Clifton Park still has the paddling pool and the minirides where you can buy tickets on entry and let the kids learn to budget their funny money on rides of their choice. All this and Clifton Park Museum.
Of course over the motorway in Sheffield we have Grave's Art Gallery and the Millenium Gallery in the Winter garden The peace Gardens in the city centre, several Parks of considerable note and the Botanic Gardens which this weekend Hosts Art in the Gardens. Yours Truly has two paintings exhibited in then Open Art Exhibition and there are numerous other Professional artists with their work on display and for sale. Parking could be a problem: but plenty of trains and busses. What's more lots of friendly people to guide you on your way and no one muttering Bl****y tourists.

Well ... I'm glad the paddling pool and the kiddie rides are still there ... my Dad was a lecturer at (what was) Rotherham College of Technology ... just down the road from Clifton Park so I spent a lot of time there. Two of my kids now live in Hunters Bar Sheffield so I'm a regular visitor to the area and I've seen how much it has changed - except for the people and the best fish and chips in the world (Two Steps Chip shop - just off Eccie Road) - which are still the same !! ... My new Grandson will be getting a visit to Clifton Park next time I'm up there ... mind you, at 6 months old he may not fully appreciate it yet but I'll enjoy it !!

Sorry ... Getting home sick ...

 

[alynewbee]

That brought back a few fond (not) memories.
Last year husband and I suited up in the pouring rain to start the 250 mile move from Cumbria to Mid Wales. Got absolutely soaked !!!
Bees stayed overnight split between van and car and we set off at first light.
He was OK in van I had escapees, from under the floor, I guess; not many but enough to make life interesting whenever we stopped in traffic.
Queens all from Exmoor so strangely well travelled despite never leaving "the house"
Next time?
I think I'd sell up and start again, give me an opportunity to start again and re-kit with Langstroth if husband didn't kill me in the process.

Phew! That sounds scary. My original plan was to move them in the back of the car, but thankfully someone loaned me a trailer. Did the very late night shut up shop and the very early start but it all went smoothly.

 

[pargyle]

Certainly drones spread Varroa but in a gradual sort of way. However where the presence of the mites suddenly appeared 50 miles or more from the nearest infested area this cannot be put down to just the drones eg Varroa appeared in North Yorkshire before it occurred in West and South Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire probably as a result of migration to the Moors by beekeepers outside Yorkshire. Beekeepers are the main agent in spreading notifiable diseases as I'm sure the NBU will confirm. One beekeeper moving a colony into Cumbria from Yorkshire brought in the first cases of EFB in the area they had seen for a long time. All I ask is that people do the obvious and check their bees over for EFB and AFB before they move their bees into a disease free area. If they are beginners then it is simple enough to ask someone who knows what they doing to do it for them. It is irresponsible not to.

It's an important point and I'm sure everyone on here would endorse everything you have said above ... perhaps it was just the tad incisive nature of your original post that ruffled a few feathers ....

 

[alynewbee]

Thank you Peter, I've got it in the diary! See you there.

 

[alynewbee]

Thank you everyone for replying. I think I am going to like it very much here (once I've bought some thermals!).

Thanks also for the comments about the practicalities of moving my bees. Monitoring the health of my bees is vital and part of my routine, I am relatively new to this (only my third season) and although I have never seen these notifiable diseases in the real world - they were covered in great depth in my training course and if I had had any doubt at all I would have called in my mentor for guidance.

As for the straight talking - I won't last long in Yorkshire if I didn't appreciate someone calling a spade a spade!

So thanks again everyone - I'm really looking forward to getting out and exploring the area (just as soon as I've painted the kitchen, and the bathroom, and the sitting room, and the loo, made 5 pairs of curtains etc etc etc ...............)