NEEPS

bracken · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:58 am Post subject: bees

I wonder if many problems associated with bees - in particular varroah mites but not excluding all the other 'notifiable diseases' eg American and European foul brood - is due to the importation of foreign bees which were introduced many years ago to 'improve' our native black bee?
Once mated with our native bees the 'good' outweighed the 'bad' for many years but perhaps now weaknesses are being shown up.
I remember the Italian bee being heralded as the next best thing since sliced bread when it was introduced - but it's introduction to the colder climes of the UK proved it to be a lazy bee in the colder weather - only producing the large amounts of honey in very good years. Unfortunately, these days, the black bee is almost extinct and 'mongrel' bees are now the norm.
I've read a lot about bee houses which can be anything from a converted garden shed to a converted loft in a farm building which offer the bees protection from wind, rain and damp - I've seen the converted farm building loft at a honey farm and was very impressed!!!
I agree that imported honey is not to be recommended - even the famous branded honey you see in the supermarkets is a blend of imports from many countries in the world. The condition it arrives in the factory need to be seen to believed! Once in the factory it is processed at abnormally high temperatures and screened to remove hive debris (including pollen). Support your local beekeeper whenever possible.

Martin · Neepster Joined: 16 Sep 2007 Posts: 663

I'm on the verge of getting the wood to start hive building, so will give a link to my progress.
Here's one of the Biobees forum moderator's hives, built from scrap pallet wood http://www.biobees.com/forum/ptopic390.html - that's another point - it brings beekeeping within the reach of far more people, you need hardly any equipment

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Martin · Neepster Joined: 16 Sep 2007 Posts: 663

here's some more "original thinking"
http://www.taylorsgardenbuildings.co.uk/bee_house_beehives.html
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JumbleJim · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 12:08 pm Post subject:

Here, here, Bracken...well said about supporting local produce. Was the beehouse in a loft fairly local to the North East? Sounds interesting, although I had a friend in Mid Wales who had this arrangement....he was involved in bee breeding and had access to all his hives from inside a large stone building which was also his bee laboratory.

From what I remember about the beginning of Varroa in the UK, it came in near to Torquay in Devon and had been reputedly brought in from France by a local beekeeper who had personally shipped in a nucleus from there. I remember we all became very anxious, but the inevitable eventually came. I suspect that the greater frequency of swarming may have contributed to its rapid spread down south compared with further north. There were also many more wild/feral colonies too.

Martin · Neepster Joined: 16 Sep 2007 Posts: 663

as an aside to this, of note to anyone just consuming the stuff - you should NEVER leave a used an unwashed honey jar outdoors or in rubbish where bees can get at it - nearly all imported honey carries diseases, which can be picked up by native bees from contact with the jars

I think you'll find the "black bees" are virtually extinct, having been all but wiped out by "Isle of Wight disease" back in the 1920's - which is why other bees were imported to replace them - it wasn't a "choice" thing, but a matter of necessity.
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JumbleJim · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 2:55 pm Post subject:

Martin said:

Martin · Neepster Joined: 16 Sep 2007 Posts: 663

Keep forgetting most of you lot are up in the frozen wastes of the North!

A swift read-up tells me that it is a common misconception amongst us southerners......
http://www.wiki-north-east.co.uk/topics/black-bee
http://www.wiki-north-east.co.uk/article.aspx?id=1502394
http://www.wiki-north-east.co.uk/article.aspx?id=1287781
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JumbleJim · Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 4:17 pm Post subject:

Frozen wastes indeed Martin

this winter the first snow flurries came in September and I can still see quite a lot of snow on the hill tops surrounding me......and born and bred locals laughingly tell me this was a mild year

We're not far from the Lecht ski area, and I am told that in days gone by the road to the Lecht was kept open by dynamite

I sometimes wonder how anything flourishes....but it does....bees as well

My little beauties are flying even now in a strong westerly wind from over the Cairngorms and an outside temperature of 9 Celsius (so with wind chill it feels nearer zero)....too cold for me to be out 'though...brrr!