| Archive for NEEPS North East Eco-friendly People's Site |
| wildgarlic |
Bleak news for bee keepershttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7656258.stm (video) |
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| Smooth Hound |
yes ive been watching and listening about this 
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| Maria |
Me too. Not good news at all.
Forget-me-not and I are due to go on a bee-keeping course in Jan. I'm looking forward to learning all I can. |
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| Martin |
Just put my name down with the local beekeepers association - going to go to their monthly meetings to learn how to do it, with a view to starting beekeeping in the spring! If anyone's interested, the recommendation is to seek out your local association who'll help get you going! 8)
In my humble opinion, FAR more important than stupid financial meltdowns! 
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| Maria |
Here here!
Didn't think. If anyones interested in the Jan course...here's the message Forget-me-not forwarded to me. We will be travelling together...and think there is one other person travelling with us. Still leaves room for 2 more in the car (hope this ok fmn?) Here's the info from Aberdeen and District Beekeepers Association.
I can forward you the info if you pm me with your email. 
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| Smooth Hound |
where is this course, and does it cost anything :oops: 
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| Maria |
FREE - close to Aberdeen but a few of us going so could share cost !!!!
Details in post above. Let me know if you need any more info. |
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| Smooth Hound |
post above  cant see it
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| Maria |
In the quote box above - all the info we have about the course...where & when. | ||
| Ina |
The course is very recommendable. Unfortunately, the practical part coincides with lambing, so I've never been able to do it. | ||
| wildgarlic |
Some good info on the Moray Beekeepers website too.
http://www.moraybeekeepers.co.uk/ |
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| Diana |
I know plenty of people who've not had any honey from their hives this year, or just early honey from rape (that doesn't keep). | ||
| Forget-me-Not |
BeesHi,Just found Bee thread. Yup Maria, the more the merrier. I'm really looking forward to it and starting to read the book, now school open again. When does it need to be renewed? A third in now!!!! I've found the Moray site before too. We could have Neeps Honey as yet!!! FMN |
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| Maria |
Thought you'd be ok for transport shares FMN - makes more sense. Think Kimmie and Smooth Hound are interested - not sure about anyone else. Will bob it on the 'what's on' nearer the time.
Glad book going ok ..it prob due back anytime now...I have a late one so will be going to renew asap. Think I can renew the bee book once more. Will let you know if any different. |
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| Forget-me-Not |
Bee BookHi,I'm a serial renewer on occasion. Why don't I take it back tomorrow morning, then take it out in my name straight away??? Would that be OK? I'm assuming you didn't want it back and had finished with it? Sorry, it took me three weeks to pick it up with all that was going on then and now am absorbed. FMN |
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| Smooth Hound |
im intersted, but ive forgotten where and when , so ill need reminding, i havent been watching the whats on as i didnt want to go anywhee but now im up out and about
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| Forget-me-Not |
BeesHi,When I hear from the Bee People I'll post it on what's on and I'll let you know in case you miss it. FMN |
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| Smooth Hound |
thanks | ||
| Smooth Hound |
its funny, well funny is maybe not the word, but i would just like to point out the stark truth of this, the birds and the bees, without which
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| Martin |
A bit of an update. About ten days ago, I went to my first meeting of the local association - an excellent and detailed talk by the local bee inspector on foulbrood and varroa, met some really nice helpful people who've promised to help all they can..........so far so good!
I then realised that I've got one heck of a lot to learn, so start off by visiting the national beekeepers association site, and rapidly realise there's something extremely fishy going on! It would appear that the management, who appear to be about as distant from their membership as possible, accept funds from Bayer, in return for endorsement of their products (which are the ones banned in many countries as they are deadly to bees)......... 
Further reading led me to this article http://www.onearth.org/node/706 -I've since been in touch with the author, and will most certainly be going the "natural route". I will remain a member of the local association, and press hard from within to ensure that those who give Bayer succour are ousted as soon as possible! 
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| Diana |
I was at my local Beekeeping Association meeting last night and we had a guy over from the S.A.C in Auchincruive. Th talk was about Verroa and associated disease. Very interesting and goes some way to explaining major loss of bees that's been seen in the states and other places in recent years.
He wasn't pushing any particular product and was quite happy to discuss ALL the options - including those not yet licensed in the UK but frequently used due to Verroa's increased resistance to the most common treatment. Interestingly, his "answer" if you like, was a combination of the more natural husbandry (mesh floors, good hygiene and "organic" acids like oxalic) alongside the branded treatments (if necessary) on rotation - i.e. don't use the same one 2 years running and they're less likely to become resistant. |
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| Martin |
I too was very pleasantly surprised by the bee inspector, considering he was a ministry man, he was actually highly scathing of the chemical treatments for Varroa made by the likes of Bayer. If your local association is affiliated to BBKA, it is probably unwittingly helping support Bayer - from what I can gather, many members of excellent small local associations don't have a clue what goes on in their name at "head office", I only found out by trying to learn more on the net
I came across this in my travels http://www.bayer-kills-bees.com/ -and this too http://vimeo.com/1158245 |
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| Diana |
Thanks for the info Martin.
Beekeeping is one of the few situations where the majority are hobbyists affiliated to the association, which in many ways is good (diversity, ideas, locations, help, GOOD advice etc), but as "amateurs", don't necessarily have any interest in the power behind the throne. |
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| Martin |
To be honest, it put me in a bit of a dilemma - I feel very strongly about the damage being done by agrochemicals anyway, and felt that I really couldn't continue with the excellent local association as I wasn't prepared to lend my support to something so blatantly wrong, but having chatted to several people have decided there's no point "chucking the baby out with the bathwater", but will do my utmost to make people aware of what's going on, and try to exert pressure from within to make them clean up their act!
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