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Worrying Times

PostPosted:21 Jun 2021, 22:14
by Steve 1972
As if Bee keeping is not bad and good enough on the stress levels i have had a Bee inspector on the phone today..Lovely fellow by the way..anyway we have a outbreak of foul brood in the area so he wants to pull my hives to bits..i said everything is fine here but he still wants to do it..
I have agreed to let him look but i am on the edge of caution as it is a crucial time for Virgins on mating flights..

Should i let him loose on my hives or tell him to come another month..?.

Re: Worrying Times

PostPosted:21 Jun 2021, 23:32
by MickBBKA
So what is the worse option. The chance of a missed Queen possibly on a colony or two which you can fix very easily. Or your whole apiary setting fire to because you got a foulbrood outbreak ?

Re: Worrying Times

PostPosted:22 Jun 2021, 01:43
by Patrick
I hear your pain Steve :roll:

Unfortunately, as previously mentioned I keep bees in an EFB hotspot with a remarkably high beekeeper density locally. I get several NBU notifications of EFB within 3km of one of my apiaries every year. I am consequently visited virtually every year around this time by our Inspector and always when my bees happen to be in the middle of a tricky patch!

Our Regional Inspector is a top bloke and keeps over 60 colonies himself. I think the risk he poses checking my bees absolutely minimal. The benefit however of an independent check by an expert that I have dodged the bullet yet another year, is incalculable. Just let him do his job I say.

Re: Worrying Times

PostPosted:22 Jun 2021, 08:31
by NigelP
Yup, got a bee inspector visiting me tomorrow.
It's usually painless and they give you a clean bill of health.
Legally you can't stop them as they have the right to inspect wherever.

Re: Worrying Times

PostPosted:22 Jun 2021, 08:39
by Steve 1972
Reasuring Patrick but it still has me wound up but like you say I will let him do his job..even though I have not spotted any problems myself I hope I dodge the bullet as it has cost me a fortune and took me several years to get where I am with the bees.

Re: Worrying Times

PostPosted:22 Jun 2021, 13:30
by AdamD
When I had an inspection once, the inspector asked me to put a stone on each hive with a virgin in, he didn't inspect those ones.
But think ahead - AFTER the inspection; you won't have to worry about disease being present in your hives.

Re: Worrying Times

PostPosted:22 Jun 2021, 13:46
by Patrick
Much better to know you are clean than hope it.

I have noticed that several good beekeepers who have had EFB issues quite often find it recurring, so it’s not something you would want to take hold. It’s one of the scenarios that would prompt me to routinely shook swarm for a while.

Re: Worrying Times

PostPosted:22 Jun 2021, 18:00
by Alfred
The thought of someone else even just stood near my hives gets my hackles up but think of it like a dental checkup Steve
Get it over and done and you'll feel fine after.


As long as he doesn't bring the disease with him... :o

Re: Worrying Times

PostPosted:22 Jun 2021, 20:14
by Steve 1972
Alfred wrote:
22 Jun 2021, 18:00
The thought of someone else even just stood near my hives gets my hackles up but think of it like a dental checkup Steve
Get it over and done and you'll feel fine after.


As long as he doesn't bring the disease with him... :o
Good point Alfred about bringng diseases and it will be mentioned before any of mine get touched..

Re: Worrying Times

PostPosted:23 Jun 2021, 19:59
by NigelP
Wouldn't worry Steve. If the guy I had today was typical the you will have no problems.
If you are expecting virgins flying for mating from hives they probably won't inspect them. I had a couple of nucs where the newly imported Italian Buckfast queens had just been accepted and we left them alone. Generally the inspectors are a better class of beekeeper who have been around the block a time or two. Yet to meet one yet who kept "local BBKA prescribed bees"...../sly grin/ This one "scrounged" eggs from expensive Danish breeder queens for his stock.