I did air my long held view that neither BBKA nor NBU address ongoing improvement of beekeeping in UK. BBKA is stuck on beekeeping as it was, held back unfortunately by the rigidity of its excellent training and educational modules. BBKA is also held back by being an amalgam of local Associations, some going back to before BBKA was formed in the 1860’s. I attended BBKA ADM’s fpsome years as my county association rep, - and shuddered when members refused increasing the very low sub to fund the Budget. NBU does an excellent job in disease and hornet control but that is about all. so, yes, I do long for a new body, an Institute for British Beekeeping, to promote steady improvement of beekeeping in line with changes in science, in culture, in the economy , in the environment.
IMHO, an Institute could define separate ‘bee environment areas’, tp replace county boundaries that have no sense now County officers are no more - better London, South East. South West, South Wales etc up to Shetlands. Suitability of hives, bee strains, management practices depend on the local environment that itself depends on geology and latitude.
A university within each area could have a professor of beekeeping, bringing academic rigour into the experiments and trials needed to respond to steady change, for instance, marketing of a new varroa treatment.
Members could support the Institute with membership fees that were a reasonable response to the benefits obtained in their beekeeping which brings each beekeeper a cash return. I was a member of the Institution of Civil Engineers, so able to put MICE after my name and get appropriate employment. Members able to put MIBB after their names might get opportunity to put hives on land then denied to ‘cowboys’ as non-members might start to be regarded.
When th Golden hive was developed in Germany, 100 were tested before the launch. Some Members of the Institute could allocate 2 or more hives for research, with the same number of controls, so an innovation could immediately be tested in 100 or more hives distributed across an area before being marketed.
Queen rearing could be localised, to suit each ‘bee environment area rather than nationally or inter-nationally. The best Bees for Scotland and the Isle of Wight are almost certainly different.
And so on ……
I've been doing that for years - the suppliers are between a rock and a hard place really, ifthey apply common sense and stop milling in the vents then the hordes of mantra chanters will cause a stink and demand they are put back - it's far easier for them to carry on, knowing that thinking beekeepers will find a solution (which does not include either matchsticks or shook swarming)
Got it.
