Package bees

[Stiffy]

"Package Bees - sourced from the Czech Republic. A package of approximately 10,500 - 11,000 bees and a caged, mated 2010 Carniolan Queen. Supplied in a correx plastic box (which can be adapted as a 'nuc' box to take 5 British National Standard Brood Frames.) "

Have just seen this on a web site advertising bees and queens for sale. I know there are concerns about bringing in 'foreign' queens, surely this must increase the risk of disease or am I just being paranoid?
Cheers

 

[MuswellMetro]

"Package Bees - sourced from the Czech Republic. A package of approximately 10,500 - 11,000 bees and a caged, mated 2010 Carniolan Queen. Supplied in a correx plastic box (which can be adapted as a 'nuc' box to take 5 British National Standard Brood Frames.) "

Have just seen this on a web site advertising bees and queens for sale. I know there are concerns about bringing in 'foreign' queens, surely this must increase the risk of disease or am I just being paranoid?
Cheers

i agree with you, perhaps we should be more like ireland on importation of Bees and Queens

are these direct imports ( which means you have the likleyhood of being inspected by DEFRA( or is it FERA and lots of papeprwork) or is it via a UK retailer who does the paperwork

i,ve seen buckfast queen advertised from Germany and cyprus but can we still imprt Queen from NZ?

 

[Chris B]

i agree with you, perhaps we should be more like ireland on importation of Bees and Queens

are these direct imports ( which means you have the likleyhood of being inspected by DEFRA( or is it FERA and lots of papeprwork) or is it via a UK retailer who does the paperwork

i,ve seen buckfast queen advertised from Germany and cyprus but can we still imprt Queen from NZ?

I believe the importer is actually a bee inspector.

 

[northernsoul]

Stiffy

How much are they charging for the package bees from Czech Republic?

 

[taff..]

I believe the importer is actually a bee inspector.

if this is true and accurate I find it a little bit shocking to be perfectly honest.

I thought the party line from all organisations is to be anti-imported queens that may well be unsuitable for our climate blah blah............


or is it just right up to the point where the individual concerned are lining their own pockets

 

[MuswellMetro]

if this is true and accurate I find it a little bit shocking to be perfectly honest.

I thought the party line from all organisations is to be anti-imported queens that may well be unsuitable for our climate blah blah............


or is it just right up to the point where the individual concerned are lining their own pockets

He is selling black welsh Bees and Carnies ( suitable for first timersr) on 5F Nuc for for £150 and Packages of Czech Carniesa nd Czech carnie queen for £110,

 

[Stiffy]

if this is true and accurate I find it a little bit shocking to be perfectly honest.

I thought the party line from all organisations is to be anti-imported queens that may well be unsuitable for our climate blah blah............


or is it just right up to the point where the individual concerned are lining their own pockets

Not sure I should include the link but google bees r us uk and it should take you to website.

Stiffy

 

[Poly Hive]

Ok a wee heads up here. I am often wrong. Maths is not my strong suit but 5000 bees is generally accepted to be 1lb.

http://pages.prodigy.net/dscribner/bees/fbeespg0.html

http://www.betterbee.com/resources/poundofbees.html

This a small package. Traditionally a good package was priced at three or five pounds.

If I were to buy a package I would be looking for 5lb not three or less.

I found installing and kicking them off easy enough but I have a bit of experience, for a beginner I would still recommend a nuc.

PH

 

[taff..]

Not sure I should include the link but google bees r us uk and it should take you to website.

Stiffy

I just have a thing about importing bees, its just one of those things that I have a gut feeling that it just isn't right

 

[VEG]

It is probably just the queens that are imported not the whole package.

 

[darrenperrett]

 

[jezd]

It is probably just the queens that are imported not the whole package.

Nope sorry, it seems like its a full package of bees with Queen, I would send the email I got but seems a little unfair.

They supply nucs from Wales and bee packages (no frames) from Slovenija I think, queens also from Slovenija.

JD

 

[Hivemaker.]

From the wording it would suggest the whole package of bee's is imported,not just the Queens,as he already imports Queens from Slovenia as well,and yes he is,or at least was a bee inspector last year,should do quite well i think.

Package Bees - sourced from the Czech Republic. A package of approximately 10,500 - 11,000 bees and a caged, mated 2010 Carniolan Queen. Supplied in a correx plastic box (which can be adapted as a 'nuc' box to take 5 British National Standard Brood Frames.)

Sorry Jez,posted same time.

 

[VEG]

I have sent them an e-mail asking. I thought it wasnt legal to import package bees, but am probably wrong.

 

[Hombre]

Our Man in Gloucestershire's packages are 3.5lbs at a few shekkles more.

at a nominal 90mg per bee Poly Hive's figure of 5000 bees weighing in at 1lb is a stunningly accurate generality. Soon be time to fatten them up for brood feeding duties though.

With a 40mg nectar max carrying capacity, we could be putting them over a bee weighbridge to check that they are meeting productivity targets before long.