SBA AGM motion on a moratorium on neonicotinoids

[Jon]

I wouldn't go there with regard to bees as someone will take the wrong end of the stick even if said in jest!

[Easy beesy]

I'm all for free speech, but did the banned ones post anything that wasn't about their pet hate? I am not the most experienced forummer so I may have missed their helpful advice, humorous posts and general discussions on here?

[madasafish]

The conspiracy theory is positively welcomed there and in that sense it is a useful escape valve as it allows people to vent without annoying too many others, although having said that, the Freemason neonicotinoid thread was a conspiracy too far for many of the regulars who reckoned, rightly, that it was setting the natural beekeeping movement up for complete ridicule. There are a few sensible heads posting there but it is very difficult to go against the flow as there are half a dozen posters who attack anyone who expresses a differing opinion, that includes some of the moderators. I did try to engage in genuine debate but it is next to impossible when there are so many who indulge in personal attacks.
You just give up after a while.
I noticed today a 'Buddhist' poster had a go at an Irish poster calling him 'Paddy Boy'.
Maybe needs a refresher course on enlightenment.
How on earth are you supposed to moderate that sort of exchange unless you are prepared to ban posters.
Racist comments deserve an automatic ban in my book although quite a few have got away with it on BKF as well.

I have given up on them.

Tolerating odd views is one thing, attacking anyone who disagrees with those views seems to me to be counter productive.

[gavin]

Doris was a welcome and useful poster before she became obsessed with neonics. That is the main reason we tolerated her outbursts last year. John is an organic farmer with some of Doris' bees on his land. Neither can now speak for themselves on here so let's leave them alone.

Phil has responded to Doris off the forum, which is entirely right in my view.

[The Drone Ranger]

My bees forage on oilseed rape then, about a month or in fact a little more later, there is a chance of lime honey. I actually got some last year (mmmmm .... mmmmmm!). The only way rape gets in the way is if there is spring rape in your area. .

your lucky Did you have to move them or was the lime on your doorstep

I find by the time the rape is part capped then spun out, the supers put back for cleaning up.
There is plenty beekeeping ahead but not much chance of more honey.

Rape is also responsible indirectly for a lot of queen imports by commercial beekeepers who are trying to stay ahead of the curve.

When phacelia was common there was a subsidy paid to grow it unfortunately there was a glut of the oil extracted and its not grown much now.

In an interview Murray Mcgregor did for "the Barefoot Beekeeper" about the Co-op bee project he says he needs to import from New Zealand because of rape.

I'm not a rabid anti rape campaigner because without it I would be worse off but if the subsidy it received went to something else I might like that better.

[gavin]

Hi DR

My bees are on an estate with a goodly number of lime trees so they stay put, at least until heather time. It is often a toss-up whether to stay for the end of the lime or go to the heather in late July. They don't usually yield much, but last year I had one colony very strong (Demaree is the thing, never went near a Snelgrove!) and with the ground damp all the way through they brought in nearly a super of cut comb lime. If you are looking for somewhere, go for a place where the trees have their feet in dampness - riverside limes can be good. Murray told me that the trees have to be old, ie >70 yrs.

Does rape need early NZ imported bees? Mine build up quickly enough and are not Carnies. Not sure that Phacelia was for oil - not game cover or even sown for pollinators? If your season finished with the rape you should try taking some to the hills. You are ideally situated for a shift to a heather site.

G.

[Black Comb]

On one of my sites they grow phacelia as a "green manure"

[The Drone Ranger]

probably got the wrong end of the stick on the phacelia front
I don't move the bees around maybe I should but its too much bother
I have never used Demaree method --does it get you a new queen each year ?
Can't say whether or not imported queens are really necessary but commercial beekeepers say that they are for rape.

[gavin]

I have a large packet of Phacelia to scatter about suitable places at the association apiary. Seed is cheap.

The Demareed colony was the one that brought me a lime crop, probably because of the strength. All that moving up of brood and creating yet more space for the queen to try to fill. OK, there are queen cells made in the top box but you can take off a nuc or put in a dividing floor and boards to make three, or just keep it as one powerful production unit.

OK, I admit it, carnies probably do build up faster in spring, like for like. But there are plenty of local stocks that can do just as well.

[mbc]

probably got the wrong end of the stick on the phacelia front

Not so long ago borage was widely grown for its oil before the Chinese grew lots and drove the price down.