swarm collecting

[biggles]

Today for the first time I was on the other side of swarm collecting. Normally I collect 1 -3 a week through the summer. A friend called today saying he had a swarm in his garden only I had another one to get, i was at work and would of had to do a 50 mile round trip to put them I a box and again to collect so I decided to give the other more local bee keepers a ring. 17 phone calls later and still nobody would even answer their phone. What's the point of putting your name on a list and not answering your phone, even 2 swarm coordinators didn't answer.

I then find out kent bee keepers are at Detling show ground as it the county show and my friend lives less than 3/4 of a mile away on the same road that's at the back of the show ground. I called 2 bee keepers who were their, one even had his kit and they knew lots of others who also were there with kit doing demos etc. None of them would go and help the poor chap who by now had got a nuc from someone else and a bee suit. Even with this info nobody would help him.


As it's a Saturday I though this would be easy to find someone. Sorry it's a bit of a rant but I think it's a very poor show from the local bee keepers.

Do others find the same problem in the rest of the UK

 

[madasafish]

People are entitled to some time off from an unpaid job. Especially at a weekend.

 

[Anduril]

People are entitled to some time off from an unpaid job. Especially at a weekend.

I had to turn down one swarm collection this week due to my son's school activities and pointed him in the direction of bka website. The person threatened to kill the bees.

 

[For want of a better word]

Beginning of July and local beekeepers were fighting over swarms..... one outside the Kelliwick Pasty factory ( Ginsters) saw no less than four hopefulls turn up with smokers belching... so I am told!!

Last week ( as swarm co-ordinator) nobody wanted to know!!!

Yeghes da

 

[biggles]

Agreed we should have time off but 17 phone calls and 5 to 10 possible more beekeeper at the show and none of them could spare 15 mins.

 

[biggles]

Beginning of July and local beekeepers were fighting over swarms..... one outside the Kelliwick Pasty factory ( Ginsters) saw no less than four hopefulls turn up with smokers belching... so I am told!!

Last week ( as swarm co-ordinator) nobody wanted to know!!!

Yeghes da

It's a real shame a swarm now could give loads of honey next year and be useful incase a queen is lost etc

 

[beeno]

It is a very poor show and I think us beeks are shooting ourselves in the foot big time in the long run. Please don't put yourselves on swarm lists if you are not prepared to go out when called or if you don't want to do weekends.

 

[Hivemaker.]

It is a very poor show and I think us beeks are shooting ourselves in the foot big time in the long run.

Going by the number of swarms reported on this forum is doesn't sound like there are many beekeepers around, more like catch and release practitioners.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

I like it! But many a true word spoken in jest.

 

[Swarm]

It is a very poor show and I think us beeks are shooting ourselves in the foot big time in the long run. Please don't put yourselves on swarm lists if you are not prepared to go out when called or if you don't want to do weekends.

If you look upon it as an unpaid job or you want the weekend off, take your name off the list.

 

[Briarfield]

Some of us on lists work, and some of the workers travel.

Should we not be on the list? If that were the case there would be large parts of our area uncovered.

For what it's worth I find all the callers very polite.

 

[chrisb]

Beginning of July and local beekeepers were fighting over swarms..... one outside the Kelliwick Pasty factory ( Ginsters) saw no less than four hopefulls turn up with smokers belching... so I am told!!

Last week ( as swarm co-ordinator) nobody wanted to know!!!

Yeghes da

id would have left them to it and turned attention to the pies

 

[Eyeman]

If you look upon it as an unpaid job or you want the weekend off, take your name off the list

In a way that's what I do.
Switch my phone on when available and switch it off when not.
The number of member now available for swarm collection in the Manchester area has gone up by 300 - 400% this year. Joe public must be spoiled for choice.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

It amazes me all this swarm talk being in a very beeless area..... there must be alot of second rate keepers out there ....one guy has collected 49 this year

 

[madasafish]

It amazes me all this swarm talk being in a very beeless area..... there must be alot of second rate keepers out there ....one guy has collected 49 this year

I have met some new beekeepers who are very nice and totally ignorant. Beekeeping is fashionable amongst some people - and then they discover it can be hard work and they have no time to learn/cam't learn/have no idea.

 

[oliver90owner]

C'mon folks!

A swarm in May....
A swarm in June....
A swarm in July....

Obviously just not worth it!

 

[For want of a better word]

Going by the number of swarms reported on this forum is doesn't sound like there are many beekeepers around, more like catch and release practitioners.

Will the local Quan~Go when the Bxexit removes all their EU funding?


Supporting catch and release beekeepers on a daily basis throughout the Summer!!!

Yeghes da

 

[Plenty of honey]

I have met some new beekeepers who are very nice and totally ignorant. Beekeeping is fashionable amongst some people - and then they discover it can be hard work and they have no time to learn/cam't learn/have no idea.

But we should remain positive!! theres a lot of good people out there, doing a lot of hard work and carry the good name of beekeepers!!

 

[Cussword]

I've taken my name off the list this year because of ill health, hopefully back in action next year.

 

[psafloyd]

Hang on, Biggles. We none of us do this for the money* and quite often the calls come through during the middle of the day when most of us are working.

We then (I always do) call back to find the "urgent" message left are not so urgent as the bees a) left or b) have been dealt with by someone else.

I have turned up at sites having agreed I would come by later to be told the bees went hours before or they got someone else to come around.

Saturdays are not necessarily easier, because those who work may have other commitments (or their children do) which makes it difficult for them to get out.

We do not provide a public service, despite what people seem to think, and it certainly isn't an emergency service.

Even those who charge a small fee won't cover their costs, so the public are bloody lucky to get anything from our small band of swarm collectors, because it is a damned sight more than they get from the authorities they DO pay to offer them public services.

Right, that's my counter-rant over.

Most of my calls this year have been from bees in properties –-vents, flat roofs, attics –-which I have had to let people down gently. However, they will lie to get you to come out, until you get it out of them that the bees that aren't very high up and are accessible are In fact in the loft of a two storey terraced house with no access from inside the house.

Others have said they are not high off the ground, but when pressed, admit they are more than 20 feet up in a tree.

I fully understand why people get tired of the nonsense some people pull and maybe they should consider taking themselves off the list.

I have had a simliar response when I know people are around but don't want a swarm once all the big prime ones have gone. But sometimes there are good reasons for not being available.

* MOST of us don't in any case and none on the lists I know.

Today for the first time I was on the other side of swarm collecting. Normally I collect 1 -3 a week through the summer. A friend called today saying he had a swarm in his garden only I had another one to get, i was at work and would of had to do a 50 mile round trip to put them I a box and again to collect so I decided to give the other more local bee keepers a ring. 17 phone calls later and still nobody would even answer their phone. What's the point of putting your name on a list and not answering your phone, even 2 swarm coordinators didn't answer.

I then find out kent bee keepers are at Detling show ground as it the county show and my friend lives less than 3/4 of a mile away on the same road that's at the back of the show ground. I called 2 bee keepers who were their, one even had his kit and they knew lots of others who also were there with kit doing demos etc. None of them would go and help the poor chap who by now had got a nuc from someone else and a bee suit. Even with this info nobody would help him.


As it's a Saturday I though this would be easy to find someone. Sorry it's a bit of a rant but I think it's a very poor show from the local bee keepers.

Do others find the same problem in the rest of the UK