Package bee imports

[Hombre]

UK bee breeding programme

Given some of the recent alarm bells being rung by FERA with regard imported pests and parasites a genuine UK breeding program and tighter import control on foreign queens (along with, more importantly, bulk bees) would not be such a bad thing. Without a bulk bee (drone source) embargo as well a UK breeding program becomes rather diluted does it not? Sadly I suspect, as with many alarm bells, they were rung too late and sadly the question for things like SHB etc. is probably now a when not an if.

I quite agree. I understand that in the last year or two a lot of packaged bees came into the UK from Australia, but now that SHB has been confirmed in Australia and all bee imports from that area subsequently banned by both the EU and USA/Canada, I can't help but wonder if there are economic pressures on Australian suppliers to become recklessly creative in their business arrangements and similarly with bulk importers with vested interests to keep businesses afloat in these interesting times.

Is it time that we should be considering putting pressure on DEFRA/FERA to ensure a high level of scrutiny of all the paperwork for queens and bee packages at the point of entry into the UK to ensure that the audit trail stacks up consistently and hasn't been invented for economic gain at the cost of compromising UK bio security?

SHB, oh F**K me!

We all know that Singapore became a bulk 21,000 tonne exporter of honey overnight, despite having no commercial bee keeping operations, when Chinese honey was embargoed a few years ago.

The authorities need to be very much on the alert to these changed circumstances and the pressures involved.

 

[Chris B]

Whoosh!
You're over most people's heads Hombre.

But according to current regs, you can import a queen from Australia but not a package of bees. But you can bring a package from New Zealand. All subject to proper health certificates etc.
But you don't need any more bees Hombre. Have you considered exporting a package or 2 of your Carnies to the USA? They need them there apparently after their previous supply line from Singapore dried up.

 

[Poly Hive]

I heard on the grape vine that a considerable number of packages went into Scotland last year to make up AFB losses.

I do wonder where they came from?

PH

 

[For want of a better word]

Watched the BBC 4 documentary last night.... now our aerial is back up and running, pointing in right direction not to get everything in Welsh!

Oh the delights if digital terrestial TV (not).. the rest of the UK has it to come I belive!

loosing the thread ... but scary bee stories there... and the Australians (who can blame them) really cashing in!!

 

[For want of a better word]

SHB reported in Australia in 2002, NOTIFYABLE under EU leglislation

from pics on net looks larvae like a small wax moth

Small hive beetle.... dont want to meet a LARGE one!

Lesser spotted and even much much lesser spotted would suit us all!

 

[RoofTops]

If you go for Dadant you won't be bothered by small hive beetle, but those with WBCs watch out!

 

[MuswellMetro]

If you go for Dadant you won't be bothered by small hive beetle, but those with WBCs watch out!

do you get less wax moth in a poly hive ( no nooks and wood joints) do the woolly cocoons burrow in like they do in wooden hives

any veiws whether poly would be better in a SHB infestation

 

[Hivemaker.]

I heard on the grape vine that a considerable number of packages went into Scotland last year

And it sounds like lots more are going there,but not staying there.

 

[Hivemaker.]

do you get less wax moth in a poly hive ( no nooks and wood joints) do the woolly cocoons burrow in like they do in wooden hives

Burrow in just the same,in fact they often go right through as well,unlike in a wooden hive.

 

[wightbees]

Rooftops

Why will Dadant not be affected ? As i have gone the Dadant route

 

[beebreeder]

polyhives all get eaten by waxmoth inside out, they turn them in colanders, i have some of our association Kichainers that were left with wax in (not by me) and they are useless, left clean is a different matter.

 

[Hombre]

WightBees, Rooftops was joking.

Dadant = Big hive.WBC =Small hive. That would be beetle, small-hive, rather than small hive-beetle I guess.

Oh, the delights of the English language and it's possibilities for endless humour. You have to try and keep up though . . . LoL

Meanwhile, as Rosti suggested, lots of bad things are possible. I will be Ultra-filtered bees next.

| didn't know that the USA had been importing queens and package bees from Singapore, sounds like more dodgy dealing to me.

I'll give Barrak a quick call and see if he want's a few spare Carni workers in his almond groves next month.