Hi all,
OxNatBees has been contacted by the creators of an app called
[Bee.Watch](http://www.bee.watch) which offers various functions for
beekeepers. The creators (who are in Cholsey, south Oxfordshire) would like to
give a presentation about it at one of our meetings, which should not be a
problem, but the ensuing conversation threw up some interesting facts,
particularly for Oxfordshire beekeepers:
"You may be interested to know that although the sheer weight of pesticides
applied in the UK has declined over the past 25 years, the area sprayed has
increased by 78%. This is mainly because more farmers are spraying theirs farms
more than 4 times a year."
There's also a[thread on
beekeepingforum.co.uk](https://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=41319)
where people are discussing this app. Interesting points from there:
[The creators posted:] "2016 we managed 140 lb honey, 2017 we eliminated wax
moth and dramaticslly reduced varroa and produced 850lb but lost 7 big colonies
overnight. The CEH [Centre for Ecology & Hydrology] in Wallingford lost all 10
of their hives in 2016/17 so it looks like we are in a hot spot for problems."
... " the National Bee Unit is heavily under funded, we have sent dead bee
samples off 3 separate times for testing and have yet to be told why they died.
One sample they said they had lost and the other they made 2 judgements based
on a photograph and have yet to test chemically for pesticides. In summary, the
NBU should be receiving a lot more funding for the great work they do."
[Posted by someone called Brian Bush, located in Bucks:]
"Swarm collection in Oxfordshire as a whole has been pretty hopeless over the
past few years. In neighbouring counties and associations, such as mine, we
have good swarm notification and collection procedures working alongside the
BBKA website model. It only takes a few hours by an individual to organise a
mailshot to all local and parish councils. A mailshot and compilation of a list
of beekeeper collectors and a tolerant wife to answer the phone when you are
unavailable. I know because I do it every year.
In neighbouring associations the swarm line phone is passed around on a weekly
basis to reduce the load on any one person.
In Oxfordshire, however, they seem to have a ramshackle system, that no-one
takes responsibility for and in busy years we receive calls from 30 miles away.
The death of bees in South Oxfordshire and North Berkshire has been an issue
for several years. Outbreaks of EFB and AFB are common, I have not however,
seen the figures fro 2017. There is a very possible reason for bee ill-health
in this area. It is home to a large honey importation company. At one time
every garden and allotment in a wide area recycled the large plastic barrels as
water buts. I know that extreme and rigorous practices are now in place to
ensure that these barrels have no traces of honey in them. Foul brood however
became established in this area some years ago and the Bee Inspectorate have
made great strides in its control and elimination. I agree, as I have stated
before on this forum, that all hives should be registered but I think the best
course Jowlpost could take would be to work within his local association and
improve their practices and procedures within the BBKA framework. SWMBO and I
spend a great deal of time dispatching swarm collectors to villages and towns
on the Oxfordshire side of the boundary. We don't like having to refuse calls
from as far away as Witney or Banbury for reasons of distance. We refuse calls
from the Wallingford/Didcot area because of the Fouls Brood reports."
About the app itself: it is intended to inform us when spraying occurs near us,
but there is already an initiative for this called BeeConnected.org.uk which
never seems to alert any beekeepers, because farmers simply aren't incentivised
to enter data when they spray. It offers some record keeping functions intended
for conventional beeks, and it attempts to help link up swarm sightings with
collectors.
Paul
