No money in honey now

[Erichalfbee]

Get out of the wrong side of bed this morning?????

It's all baaa baaa baaa down here at the moment...... so may triplets!

Yeghes da

Poor wee lambs born into this weather!
Lots are lambed inside, of course.

 

[ericbeaumont]

The old jar of honey per hive is a bit of a joke, decent sites are worth having and honey and a bottle or 6 of decent whiskey or plonk are the very least I would expect to part with.

There is a balance to everything and I think the ‘jar/hive’ when taken into consideration alongside the pollinator value represents a sensible form of rent.

I pay a landowner £184 pa for his PLI on an old orchard on Green Belt land; it brings in about 600lb pa @ £12/lb, so it's worth having and I'm very willing to pay the rent + honey. On the other hand, I've got a new site off the A13 on a warehouse park (upping its green credentials); they're giving me £1k, I get to keep the honey, and all they want is a few promo jars.

Agree with you both: decent sites are worth paying extra, and there's a balance to everything.

 

[Hachi]

The old jar of honey per hive is a bit of a joke, decent sites are worth having and honey and a bottle or 6 of decent whiskey or plonk are the very least I would expect to part with.

Joke or not, its what is promoted in the Assoc's in Nth Wilts, it works and everyone is happy and long may it continue.

When the relationship becomes a Comrcl arrangement, it can sound the death knell as farmers start charging and selling to the highest bidder. Examples of this can be found in the field sport community. Large and I mean large sums of money change hands for "sporting rights" and there is always somebody willing to step in and pay more, even for managing vermin.

It would be interesting to understand from Comrcl beekeepers perspective if they pay for sites and if so, how much.

 

[Ian123]

Joke or not, its what is promoted in the Assoc's in Nth Wilts, it works and everyone is happy and long may it continue.

When the relationship becomes a Comrcl arrangement, it can sound the death knell as farmers start charging and selling to the highest bidder. Examples of this can be found in the field sport community. Large and I mean large sums of money change hands for "sporting rights" and there is always somebody willing to step in and pay more, even for managing vermin.

It would be interesting to understand from Comrcl beekeepers perspective if they pay for sites and if so, how much.

Well if it’s recommended by the association then it must be right........then again many are run by a bunch of old beeks with no idea of commercial value and sell the honey for £4 ........ok sorry generalised a bit.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I pay a landowner £184 pa for his PLI on an old orchard on Green Belt land; it brings in about 600lb pa @ £12/lb, so it's worth having and I'm very willing to pay the rent + honey. On the other hand, I've got a new site off the A13 on a warehouse park (upping its green credentials); they're giving me £1k, I get to keep the honey, and all they want is a few promo jars.

Agree with you both: decent sites are worth paying extra, and there's a balance to everything.

I'm in a similar situation Eric, on one of my sites I pay £50pa but then I also have a storage facility adjacent which is worth its weight in gold and on another site I pay £100 but have my honey room in one of their barns and pay nothing for water and power. For both of these sites I also GIVE a few jars of honey but the owners of the land also BUY a dozen or so jars at my normal price because I print them labels which are specific to them........ great gift when attending a dinner party.
I also look after hives for several clients one of which is a company who wanted bees for their "Corporate responsibility credentials", they pay me handsomely to look after them but want all the honey as gifts for their clients. Of course they need it extracting and bottling which of course I charge them for as well!
I think like all things in life no one solution suits all situations ...... the examples above are the extremes but generally I give 2 x 12oz jars per hive.

 

[For want of a better word]

Poor wee lambs born into this weather!
Lots are lambed inside, of course.

Still can be bitterly cold inside the shed..... and this farmer appreciates my helping hand and does not expect anything for allowing me to keep my bees on his land!

 

[WoodenBeam]

As already said, one size doesn’t fit all.

As for the baa baa’s, some of ours are knocking the 30kg mark having been born in Dec. Outside in the main but indoors overnight until all little’luns are of a reasonable size.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Well if it’s recommended by the association then it must be right........then again many are run by a bunch of old beeks with no idea of commercial value and sell the honey for £4 ........ok sorry generalised a bit.

You're teasing, Ian, but your point is valid and worth making. A shake-up is overdue in many BKAs, but will be resisted strenuously by those keen to prevent progress.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A shake-up is overdue in many BKAs, but will be resisted strenuously by those keen to prevent progress.

From 'Beekeeping in the tropics' by Francis G. Smith Head of the Beekeeping Division Forest department Tanganyika (Tanzania) Founder member of the Bee Research Association Published in 1960 with much advice and input from ROB Manley and Eva Crane - which shows in the following :

"The fathers of beekeeping in England, who demonstrated in frock coat and top hat, considered it was not possible to make a living from bees, but recommended it as a profitable hobby, a source of entertainment.............Their teaching held British beekeeping in their thraldom for fifty years"

I think it still does.

 

[For want of a better word]

From 'Beekeeping in the tropics' by Francis G. Smith Head of the Beekeeping Division Forest department Tanganyika (Tanzania) Founder member of the Bee Research Association Published in 1960 with much advice and input from ROB Manley and Eva Crane - which shows in the following :

"The fathers of beekeeping in England, who demonstrated in frock coat and top hat, considered it was not possible to make a living from bees, but recommended it as a profitable hobby, a source of entertainment.............Their teaching held British beekeeping in their thraldom for fifty years"

I think it still does.

Fifty years... plus another 100 !!!

Can assure you I was wearing my top hat and frock coat ( Green of course) when I collected the Black bee honey for the Heligan Pineapple rum... I thought 8 jars of honey was a good swap for a bottle of craft Gin!

https://www.heligan.com/news/lost-garden-rum

 

[Hachi]

I speak from experience and have lost much from the commercialisation of an enjoyable hobby to those who come in and pay large amounts for what was a mutually beneficial partnership often stretching back decades.

Personally, I will stick to the tradition as it nutures the type of relationship I want from my landlords and ladies as the principle and cornerstone of the agreement. Will I do odd jobs round the farm to help out...…… yes of course but neither of us see it as part of the deal more of having a friendship that's grown from the deal.

No doubt someone will now pick over my comments and start yet another dull pissing contest. Let the games begin...……

 

[For want of a better word]

I speak from experience and have lost much from the commercialisation of an enjoyable hobby to those who come in and pay large amounts for what was a mutually beneficial partnership often stretching back decades.

Personally, I will stick to the tradition as it nutures the type of relationship I want from my landlords and ladies as the principle and cornerstone of the agreement. Will I do odd jobs round the farm to help out...…… yes of course but neither of us see it as part of the deal more of having a friendship that's grown from the deal.

No doubt someone will now pick over my comments and start yet another dull pissing contest. Let the games begin...……

Confused...
is this about the £7000 a weekend Rangerover hooray henry country sports shooting brigade...

Or struggling Beefarmers???

 

[Ian123]

I speak from experience and have lost much from the commercialisation of an enjoyable hobby to those who come in and pay large amounts for what was a mutually beneficial .……

Clearly your idea of mutually beneficial was not the same as others!!! It could be said if you had been a little more realistic about the cost or privilege of using another’s property then you would still be there.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I only pay 'rent' on one apiary (and that was just to keep the knowitalls within the rifle club membership happy) they suggested £20.00 for access and a jar of honey per hive. There's only forty acres to play with though.
All the other landowners (some who actually offered apiaries) are just pleasantly surprised when the honey turns up.
But then we live in the real world here not in the materialistically driven home counties where everything must have a price.

 

[Hachi]

Clearly your idea of mutually beneficial was not the same as others!!! It could be said if you had been a little more realistic about the cost or privilege of using another’s property then you would still be there.

And so it begins …………………. lol

 

[Ian123]

I only pay 'rent' on one apiary (and that was just to keep the knowitalls within the rifle club membership happy) they suggested £20.00 for access and a jar of honey per hive. There's only forty acres to play with though.
All the other landowners (some who actually offered apiaries) are just pleasantly surprised when the honey turns up.
But then we live in the real world here not in the materialistically driven home counties where everything must have a price.

Lol Home Counties my hairy English arse, probably the most costly apiary in the country is far closer to you than me!!

 

[Swarm]

I only pay 'rent' on one apiary (and that was just to keep the knowitalls within the rifle club membership happy) they suggested £20.00 for access and a jar of honey per hive. There's only forty acres to play with though.
All the other landowners (some who actually offered apiaries) are just pleasantly surprised when the honey turns up.
But then we live in the real world here not in the materialistically driven home counties where everything must have a price.

Spot on, deal with decent people and not those looking to make a fast buck at every opportunity.
I've never paid rent whether money or honey, my landlord is not interested, just loves having the bees there.

 

[Millet]

Still can be bitterly cold inside the shed..... and this farmer appreciates my helping hand and does not expect anything for allowing me to keep my bees on his land!

Like bees cold don't weaken them lambs but wet does..inside the lambs do very well.

 

[For want of a better word]

Like bees cold don't weaken them lambs but wet does..inside the lambs do very well.

I try to follow the way of the good shepherd.....a tot of rum keeps the cold out, but yesterday the rain was being blasted through the roof!

Chons da

 

[Norf Bee]

Spot on, deal with decent people and not those looking to make a fast buck at every opportunity.
I've never paid rent whether money or honey, my landlord is not interested, just loves having the bees there.

Some people demand pay, some people will pay you.
As long as rules are clear and both sides are happy I can't see any fault.
Dismissing anyone who wants payment is bad for business.
Figuring out are you getting your moneys worth is whole another thing.