BBKA Forum

British Beekeepers Association Official Forum 

  • 'Natural' beekeeping

  • share the funny, scary & the completely stupid things you've seen & heard
share the funny, scary & the completely stupid things you've seen & heard
 #9103  by AndrewLD
 07 Oct 2020, 09:50
I don't think you need apologise at all. The fact that you have asked and are considering the responses is surely good?
I suggest you register with Beebase and get your self on the list - that way you can find out if there is a problem in your area and the Bee Inspector will know where to find you.
Do remember that bees usually cluster locally before flying off to a new home and that bees seeking a new home will often come and find one in or near other apiaries (sort of "if they live here it must be OK"). If you let your bees swarm your neighbours will soon run out of patience and when other bees from other apiaries arrive to take up a home in their chimneys/home it will be assumed that they are your bees!
 #9107  by Bobbysbees
 07 Oct 2020, 13:47
Iv heard Beebase mentioned a few time by different people. My assumption is that they are similar to the bbka in so much as their another governing/monitoring body. Im i correct in thinking that they are the people the can put you on "the swam list"? Im looking in to doing some courses next year, though im not sure how that will pan out with the current covid issues. We will have to see. Most of my knowledge comes from online research and books. My first hive and frames i built my self using some information i got from a South African study into the relationship between cell size in different species and the related bee space needed. Im a bit nerdy in that respect. I have found though that no 2 beekeepers seem to be able to agree on very much and it can be a little hard to sift out the nuggets from the dogma and folklore. Lol . But like most thing, i find the best method of learning is doing. So i built my hives and went and bought some bees. I did stick up a few swarm traps early on in the hope of getting some free but heyho no luck. At least they may catch some of my own if i happen to miss the signs.
 #9108  by huntsman.
 07 Oct 2020, 14:28
< I have found though that no 2 beekeepers seem to be able to agree on very much ...>

Not true for experienced beekeepers. While there are many ways to skin a cat, the end result is still the same, the cat gets skinned.

Yes, you need to do a course which is probably not on for now. As an alternative I suggest you quickly find a mentor.

Good luck with your first winter.
 #9111  by AndrewLD
 07 Oct 2020, 17:14
Bobbysbees wrote:
07 Oct 2020, 13:47
Iv heard Beebase mentioned a few time by different people. My assumption is that they are similar to the bbka in so much as their another governing/monitoring body. Im i correct in thinking that they are the people the can put you on "the swam list"? Im looking in to doing some courses next year, though im not sure how that will pan out with the current covid issues. We will have to see. Most of my knowledge comes from online research and books.
Similar to the BBKA - Not quite; BeeBase is the Animal and Plant Health Agency's (APHA) National Bee Unit website. I hope you understand that in keeping bees you are keeping livestock that is subject to regulation, that there are certain diseases that you are by law required to report and that Bee Inspectors may come onto your property at any time without notice for the purposes of inspecting your bees and may destroy them and your hives if they are found to contain certain very infectious diseases?????
I think you need more than luck and I suggest you join your local beekeeping association where you should find a warm welcome and hopefully, that mentor. One of the problems you'll undoubtedly face is that the bees cannot read and don't do Youtube or Facebook.
But you are not the only one to start this way and I am sure that in the Beginners Section of this forum you'll find plenty of good on-line advice :)
 #9133  by Patrick
 08 Oct 2020, 17:50
The main purpose of Beebase is to ensure bee inspectors know the locations of beehives in any given location so in the event of a disease outbreak they can a) let you know disease such as EFB has been found locally and within flying distance of you. This is anonymous and no beekeeper is identified, but it enable you to take appropriate precautions b) it ensures bee inspectors can visit and check known apiaries in the direct proximity of a known outbreak and endeavour to stop the spread to other beekeepers hives.

It’s a slightly surprising fact that notwithstanding many associations intense training and lectures to help hobbyists to spot EFB, 19 out of 20 known cases are found by bee inspectors.

As the Healthy Bees Plan states there is a view that thinks beekeepers should do all their own disease spotting and management and all it would take is more or better training and then bee inspectors would not be necessary and their relatively trifling cost could be saved. My view is there is ample evidence it is not so simple, just as with human medicine.
 #9134  by NigelP
 08 Oct 2020, 19:10
Patrick wrote:
08 Oct 2020, 17:50
The main purpose of Beebase is to ensure bee inspectors know the locations of beehives in any given location so in the event of a disease outbreak they can a) let you know disease such as EFB has been found locally and within flying distance of you. This is anonymous and no beekeeper is identified,
Alas, given the number of unregistered beekeepers (I know of several) it's not really an absolute solution. It helps, but in cases where disease is coming from unregistered apiaries then it's struggling.
Google earth, however, shows beehives reasonably well.....if you know what you are ,looking for. Test it on your own apiary.
 #9138  by AndrewLD
 08 Oct 2020, 21:27
I have posted before about the inordinate amount of time wasted trying to track down unregistered beekeepers. Few beekeepers pass unnoticed in their communities and I for one have no hesitation in passing on details to our inspector when he is trying to pin down apiaries - they are acting in our best interests as well as being paid by us to do the job....
 #9139  by Patrick
 09 Oct 2020, 00:03
Going off topic here I appreciate.

I was mainly trying to reassure Bobbysbees that Beebase is in my view a benign mechanism to make some attempt at enabling the very few inspectors nationally to do their job more effectively by spending time checking bees not wasting time tracking down apiaries.

It is a voluntary mechanism I believe we should support and encourage participation in, granted it may always be imperfect. I know there are some who cite that issue as being a reason all beekeepers should be compulsory recorded on some form of register. Not a view I personally share.
 #9142  by Bobbysbees
 09 Oct 2020, 14:32
Thanks again for the information guys. I generally do my best to spot any issues in my hives before they become a problem. Granted i was not aware of my need to report EFB/AFB. Though i do know the need to remove all traces of it when found and to totally isolate affected hives and destroy the wood work. Iv seen a few good videos on youtube on how to recognise different problems from sack brood,bald brood,mites tracial and veroa aswell as AFB/EFB. I have used Apistan after the summer flow finished and once i pull my last supers of ivy i will be using O.A vape before winter shut down and feeding. I will certainly look into registering with Beebase. Plus early next year assuming the lockdown lifts, joining my local Beekeeper association.