NBU Notice

[B+.]

This may be of interest to someone

The National Bee Unit has vacancies for 2 Seasonal Bee Inspectors (SBI) in the East of England and preferably Norfolk, South Cambridgeshire, North Hertfordshire, and North Essex areas. If you are interested in applying for the job, please follow this link.

If you have any questions regarding the position, please contact Peter Davies (Regional Bee Inspector covering Eastern Region) [email protected] / 07900292160 or Cristina Ruiz (National Bee Inspector) – 07976242798 / [email protected].

 

[steve1958]

Maybe they need to change the job title to Asian Hornet inspector.
As it seems that many bee inspectors have spent a fair amount of their time these past few years chasing Asian Hornet's and destroying them.

 

[Newbeeneil]

It's certainly not a job I would take on after yesterday.
I spent 12 hours with my SBI (8 til 8) traveling 50 miles to 9 apiaries inspecting 39 hives, discovering one with EFB, carrying out a shook swarm, burning the associated frames and scorching all the wood work.
When he left me he had a 45min drive home, had to put all 9 suits into the washing machine, download the results onto the system, eat, hang out suits to dry and crawl into bed.
He seemed to take it as quite a normal day!
Not for me!

 

[B+.]

It's certainly not a job I would take on after yesterday.
I spent 12 hours with my SBI (8 til 8) traveling 50 miles to 9 apiaries inspecting 39 hives, discovering one with EFB, carrying out a shook swarm, burning the associated frames and scorching all the wood work.
When he left me he had a 45min drive home, had to put all 9 suits into the washing machine, download the results onto the system, eat, hang out suits to dry and crawl into bed.
He seemed to take it as quite a normal day!
Not for me!

It makes you appreciate what they do, doesn't it?

 

[Erichalfbee]

It makes you appreciate what they do, doesn't it?

Well they certainly are good at spotting disease and finding queens

 

[Newbeeneil]

It makes you appreciate what they do, doesn't it?

Absolutely, amazingly diligent and extremely thorough. He checked 35 in two apiaries 10 days ago but yesterday was a marathon.
Mind you he could talk the hind leg off a donkey if you let him!

 

[North End Bees]

Maybe they need to change the job title to Asian Hornet inspector.
As it seems that many bee inspectors have spent a fair amount of their time these past few years chasing Asian Hornet's and destroying them.

1 nest in 2020, 4 nests the previous year. Total of 19 since first seen 2016.

Regardless of scaremongering by the daily press, AHs aren't the most time consuming work for SBIs.

 

[ericbeaumont]

the most time consuming work for SBIs

That would be travel and paperwork, though now they're expected to use iPads.

A London SBI retired a few years ago because the driving and admin almost outweighed the field work.

 

[holmbee]

Our local SBI became the RBI (Regional) but has returned to being an SBI as less admin and more field work with bees.

 

[polymath]

Absolutely, amazingly diligent and extremely thorough. He checked 35 in two apiaries 10 days ago but yesterday was a marathon.
Mind you he could talk the hind leg off a donkey if you let him!

Pretty certain i know who you mean. He also does mine as I have an advanced sentinel apiary so get three inspections a year. I look at it as a free disease training course. We did about 6 hours and three apiaries and circa 18 colonies, but found a queen in a nuc i had not been able to find for ages

 

[Newbeeneil]

Pretty certain i know who you mean. He also does mine as I have an advanced sentinel apiary so get three inspections a year. I look at it as a free disease training course. We did about 6 hours and three apiaries and circa 18 colonies, but found a queen in a nuc i had not been able to find for ages

He mentioned the sentinel apiary, without any names of course. Very discrete!