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liz30hob

New Bee
Joined
Apr 28, 2010
Messages
12
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0
Location
North Yorkshire Coast
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
3
Hi All,

I live up on the Yorkshire coast, and the local association is focussed on the native black bee. The following is a statement of intent from 2008,

Whitby Bee Breeding Group
Published Oct 5, 2008
WBKA are committed to preserving the local or native "Black Bee". For a number of years in the Robin Hoods Bay area a committed group have been selectively out-breeding undesirable characteristics associated with mongrelised bees. The main focus on the breeding group is to achieve Varroa tollerant bees. Major steps forward backed up by statistical data prove that bees can live with Varroa and they demonstrate hygenic tendancies to deal with the Varroa mite by destroying and/or removing mites.
To support the breeding group a secluded breeding status is required and our local MEP Edward MacMillan-Scott visited on a fact finding tour to see for himself the benefits to be gained.
Whitby BKA just been quoted by Edward Mcmillan-Scott MEP in the latest edition of "Parlimentary Magazine" - he is pushing our case for protected area status.
Edward McMillan-Scott - is the Vice President of the European Parliament

This evening I have received an e-mail, from Edward Mcmillan-Scott, through the association with a European Parliament press release, the link is:
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/en/pressroom/content/20101025IPR90080/.

I thought members on the forum might wish to make comment about the European Parliament involvement with 'Bee' issues.

Regards,

Roy
 
I thought members on the forum might wish to make comment about the European Parliament involvement with 'Bee' issues.

I wouldnt bother to get too excited about it.

Once an MP is approached regarding something they are obliged to ask questions somewhere even if they may not have the slightest concern. It's their job and they probably dont care about the subject under discussion, but they cant say so can they...They have to make it look as if it was thier idea.
 
'Bees can live with varroa'. So, what's new?

If you want bee colonies riddled with mites and disease, then you go ahead. They will limp along, and they may 'survive', and this style of keeping bees may even become some new Holy Grail that people even devote their lives to. These people might even set up commitees and they might even get a visit from their MEP.

Other beekeepers, however, are finding that managing varroa numbers is easily achievable.
 
More expert (boil in the bag) beekeeping ideas.
 
'Bees can live with varroa'. So, what's new?

If you want bee colonies riddled with mites and disease, then you go ahead. They will limp along, and they may 'survive', and this style of keeping bees

Just out of curiousity, how many people here have actually suffered a loss of a colony (or more) that was proven to be due entirely to varroa?
 
"Whitby BKA just been quoted by Edward Mcmillan-Scott MEP in the latest edition of "Parlimentary Magazine" - Edward McMillan-Scott is the Vice President of the European Parliament"

So that's what triggered the EU demand for an extra £650 million from the UK this year!
 
Now now Channel four said 500m or half a billion... not quite the same thing unless you are a yank............lol

PH
 
Well, things seem to be built on at least one incorrect perception and probably two:

Guardian said:
Bee mortality is rising while the number of beekeepers in Europe is declining,Bee mortality is rising while the number of beekeepers in Europe is declining.

Does this mean that almost half the honey crop sold can be foraged from a pallet in Booker's?
The Chinese must be laughing at that. So much for their avowed aim of raising the product standards.

Guardian said:
Moreover, products should be labelled as 'honey' only if at least 50% of the sugar originates from honey, say MEPs.

Come on PolyHive, you can't remain in denial for so long. It's a democracy and so whichever way you voted, your Government representative of the day rationalised things to make his job and that of many others less confusing and a sight easier. After all, where would calculators be today with 12d to the shilling and 240d to the £1? It's not that you weren't involved with an industry that didn't claim to sell billions of barrels of oil each year, but then it's difficult to count barrels effectively if it's served up in a pipeline. I wonder, do you think it might have been a plot to confuse us? Lol!

In 1975 Chancellor Denis Healey announced that the treasury would adopt the US billion thenceforth. Presuambly at the same time what was a billion became a trillion - after all, UK inflation was at its highest whilst he was the incumbent of Number 11.

oxforddictionaries say

Arguably Mr Healey could anticipate that without doing something positive, that mixed units of measure, particularly those with the same name, would end up in a disaster like a space probe crunching into a planet somewhere (is it obvious that I didn't do that bit of homework?)

:) :)
 
Roy,

thanks for the information, sorry if you did not get the response you expected....
 
'to set up an action plan for tackling bee mortality that would include promoting pollinator-friendly farming practices '

'In addition, access to medicines in the whole of the European Union should be improved through EU funding. '

Excellent Roy, I'm just sad that you posted it here where cynicism and suspicion of authority rather than real engagement often prevail. There are other fora (and also many other, quieter, people on this one) that would welcome such news.

I was particularly delighted to read that there is still a group in your area actively breeding native bees and also looking for Varroa resistance. Very laudable aims. We are hoping to build on the beginnings of a similar initiative in our area.

best wishes

Gavin
 
.
Thanks to varroa, it killed German Black bee to extinction in Finland.
It was an awfull creature.
 
I'm a little at a loss to understand these two - which appear to be a touch at odds -

"'to set up an action plan for tackling bee mortality that would include promoting pollinator-friendly farming practices '

'In addition, access to medicines in the whole of the European Union should be improved through EU funding. '

the first would appear to be asking for what is dear to my heart - the complete phasing out of all "icide" use, a total embargo upon any further release of GMOs into nature, and a cessation of short-termist chemicalised monocultures ........ full marks, lots of applause!

Not too sure about the second statement about "medicines" - the only person I've heard use that phraseology about bees was one of the "Bayer Brigade" within a certain national association, and has my warning bells going off!

As for attempts to breed bees that can survive varroa without any chemical intervention, again, full marks and applause is due - I wish you every success!

I'm very suspicious of authority (with good reason), but I also recognise and respect people trying to do good things!
 
Hi Martin

The quotes are from the EU's Select Committee for Agriculture. They have taken up the cudgels on behalf of beekeepers and beekeeping - and have necessarily tried to do the political thing and keep people onboard who hold very different opinions.

Quite separate from the Whitby bee breeding group.

best wishes

Gavin
 
westminsterscan.jpg


That's my ugly mug in the pic from the BBKA demo two years ago for research funding...I don't want EU involved either, if they had their way we'd have Rabies in the UK!

No offence to you, Liz, and it's good to see your involvement.

[I've got fond memories of Whitby from a romantic w/e there in the sixties when I was stationed nearby with Bomber Command....always nice to see it in old repeats of Heartbeat]
 
Why you are agreeing about the demise of the German bee?

Umm post above mine? # 16?

Finman thought it good from personal experience, and your thoughts are what from what basis?


PH
 
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