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British Beekeepers Association Official Forum 

  • Beescanning varroa spotting app

  • Honeybee pests and diseases.
Honeybee pests and diseases.
 #8088  by Chrisbarlow
 01 Jul 2020, 17:04
Anybody tried it?

https://beescanning.com/
 #8091  by Liam
 01 Jul 2020, 21:30
I did look into but wasnt keen on signing up with my mobile, so never got past that stage. I just dont trust any company with it as receive so many "I heard you have been in an accident" phone calls. It cant see mites under bees tho, so not a true count.
 #8099  by Chrisbarlow
 02 Jul 2020, 16:41
It's quite an interesting history so far. It's been crowdfunded and received a grant from the Danish government for Innovation or something similar. I'll try it anyhow
 #8102  by AndrewLD
 02 Jul 2020, 21:04
Chrisbarlow wrote:
02 Jul 2020, 16:41
It's quite an interesting history so far. It's been crowdfunded and received a grant from the Danish government for Innovation or something similar. I'll try it anyhow
Do let us know how you get on.
There was something slightly odd about the video. Nordic beekeeper without protection takes out frames and takes several photos of each frames.... etc. Notice the low number of bees and what are they on - valium????
Try this on a normal colony and I wonder if you'd get past frame three before you were chucking on a beesuit and smoking - unless the smoker had cannabis in it of course.....
and Liam had a good point too..
I shan't rush to sign up - might ask for a sample of their smoker fuel :D
 #8103  by NigelP
 03 Jul 2020, 09:05
AndrewLD wrote:
02 Jul 2020, 21:04

There was something slightly odd about the video. Nordic beekeeper without protection takes out frames and takes several photos of each frames.... etc. Notice the low number of bees and what are they on - valium????
Interesting comment Andrew. The way the bees behaved in that video is very similar to the way my Buckfast and Buckfast F1's behave, but more bees per frame. Sort of laid back and no real bee suit or smoke needed. But one wears a suit as some of my bees are F2's and locals (damn I hate collecting swarms) and for those you need smoke and a suit.
In a good year (this is bad year) if I find I need smoke to control my bees I re-queen as soon as convenient.
Interesting that beekeepers have different values on what constitutes "good natured" bees.
My general rule of thumb in the garden is if I get buzzed as I take the lawnmower past the hives they get moved to an out apiary.
 #8104  by AndrewLD
 03 Jul 2020, 10:13
Ahh - Nigel you are starting to sound like the Slovenians selling their carniolan queens. I am just waiting for the picture of baby smoothered in carniolans as an alternative to blankets :D

But have you noticed the trend for beekeepers like Bob Hogge to suggest that we have created a problem with these docile strains. We apparently need vicious strains that will fight off the Asian hornet and I am sure I have read that they are more hygienic when it comes to varroa......

I like the lawn mower test.
 #8105  by NigelP
 03 Jul 2020, 10:20
And how are the vicious strains doing in France at halting the hornets advance?

Personally I'll politely ignore the keep vicious bees advice and stay with my gentle strains and keep requeening the rogue nasties....
The last Carniolans I kept were so vicious they chased my truck half a mile down the track. Last time I ever bought queens from a well known wholesale importer. Caveat emptor.