Pollination contracts

[Apple]

I wish I could find the info from the time. All I remember is that there were reports of high incidences of CBPV associated with hives in orchards in the Essex/Kent area.
Ok it may have been a particular type of bee but how likely is it that all the beekeepers affected had the same bees?
Again possibly travel stress, but other colonies were also being moved about, e.g to osr.

Was it about a pollinator contractor's bees migrated from Norfolk to orchards in Kent... a couple of years ago?

 

[North End Bees]

Was it about a pollinator contractor's bees migrated from Norfolk to orchards in Kent... a couple of years ago?

Last spring. I can't remember if it was a specific contractor.

 

[ericbeaumont]

wish I could find the info from the time.

Are you still in touch with the beefarmer, or know her name? Would be worth digging for the full story.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I wish I could find the info from the time. All I remember is that there were reports of high incidences of CBPV associated with hives in orchards in the Essex/Kent area.

I've looked through all the emails from the last three years and I have found nothing - there was a warning early this year about AFB in those areas

 

[North End Bees]

I've looked through all the emails from the last three years and I have found nothing - there was a warning early this year about AFB in those areas

Yes there were several outbreaks of AFB in the area.
I'll try to get in touch with her and find out more about the CBPV.

 

[Apple]

It would be great if all beekeepers could work together to track trace and erase the foulbrood diseases.
I sometime feel we are fighting an uphill battle... particularly when swarms in nucs that are possibly infected are being sold onto begginers who may be unaware of the problems!

Nadelik Lowen

 

[Erichalfbee]

It would be great if all beekeepers could work together to track trace and erase the foulbrood diseases.
I sometime feel we are fighting an uphill battle... particularly when swarms in nucs that are possibly infected are being sold onto begginers who may be unaware of the problems!

Nadelik Lowen

I hate the practice of selling swarms
By all means take your swarm build it up and check it’s healthy then sell it as a colony.

 

[Swarm]

Or if it's one of your own.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Or if it's one of your own.

Of course

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I hate the practice of selling swarms

one of the reasons of my falling out with the chairman of my last BKA

 

[mbc]

I hate the practice of selling swarms
By all means take your swarm build it up and check it’s healthy then sell it as a colony.

Yeah, I sell nucs but never swarms, I don't want to invite bad luck, this last season was about average for me swarm collecting, I picked up about a dozen, some were used to fill bait hives that'd failed to attract their own swarm- all requeened once established- most given away to a friend setting up an apiary as a OPD thing, did myself out of over a grand in nuc sales but what goes around comes around as they say.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Yeah, I sell nucs but never swarms, I don't want to invite bad luck, this last season was about average for me swarm collecting, I picked up about a dozen, some were used to fill bait hives that'd failed to attract their own swarm- all requeened once established- most given away to a friend setting up an apiary as a OPD thing, did myself out of over a grand in nuc sales but what goes around comes around as they say.

I thought swarms were given away anyway why the selling!?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I thought swarms were given away anyway why the selling!?

 

[Polymorph]

The local BKA made £1250 through selling swarms. So it's a very lucrative sideline. The alternative is some members will sell established swarms as nucs for £120+. Either that or the Internet. You pays the money and makes your choice
Hoping to become a bit more self sufficient next year.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The local BKA made £1250 through selling swarms.

Which I have said before - is immoral

 

[Curly green finger's]

Which I have said before - is immoral

... The greed of some associations and beekeepers is rather sickening..
I've always thought in years past that swarms were given a way To noobs or fellow members when they had lost colonys..
Obviously unknown swarms will need assessing first, and requeened where necessary.
I must be a strange beekeeper indeed to follow these values.

 

[gmonag]

...I've always thought in years past that swarms were given a way To noobs or fellow members when they had lost colonys..
Obviously unknown swarms will need assessing first, and requeened where necessary.
I must be a strange beekeeper indeed to follow these values.

Not at all. That is/should be the norm.

 

[Ian123]

Not at all. That is/should be the norm.

As long as people are aware what there buying and it’s reflected in the price there’s really shouldn’t be an issue. It may even be an affordable way for people to start. Pays your money take your choice!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It may even be an affordable way for people to start.

I find being given a swarm for nothing is pretty affordable

 

[tonyofarr]

I will only sell nucs that I have overwintered, that way I can be sure that the colony is healthy with a good queen. I don't go out of my way to catch swarms (other than my own) because I don't want to bring in any problems.

When I first started keeping bees I had been given a swarm by the examiner of my Basic exam, and surely this kindness and generosity is something to be encouraged? It costs hardly anything to catch a swarm to give to a beginner with the advice to check the health of the bees, or even for a mentor to check them a few weeks after hiving.