http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/ne...tre/95386.aspx
I'm assuming this is still KVH (who I thought had gone bust and were selling all their kit) producing this. If so.....aaaaargh!!!
Scottish parliament honey
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/ne...tre/95386.aspx
I'm assuming this is still KVH (who I thought had gone bust and were selling all their kit) producing this. If so.....aaaaargh!!!
Last edited by drumgerry; 12-01-2016 at 05:59 PM.
Since when are honey bees endangered in Scotland.
Oh well I'm trying to give the Parliament more of an insight (as I see it) on their FB page
https://www.facebook.com/scottishpar..._t=photo_reply
Last edited by drumgerry; 14-01-2016 at 12:55 PM.
Do you actually KNOW the origin of the bees they placed there? Is it just rumours and tittle tattle?Originally Posted by drumgerry
FWIW I have NEVER sold any bees, imported or otherwise, to Kelvin Valley honey.
That is not to say they are not imported, just that I have no direct knowledge to say they are. It is perfectly possible that they get them either from another importer or from a secondary vendor.
However, again with no actual knowledge of the bees involved, it is important to remember these bees are more or less in a public space, and unless you want Claims Direct or similar coming hounding you, you must be very careful about the temperament of stock placed in such a location, or have very good insurance.
The local stock I have met round Edinburgh both to the east and west were decent enough bees and considered gentle *by their keepers*, but from what I saw I would not have thought them safe in a semi public location.
The business model of people paying to have bees on their premises or to sponsor hives is very interesting but I doubt its sustainability long term once the fashion fades and folk realise that honeybees are actually far from endangered, as the alarm stories only focus on losses and treat them as cumulative rather than taking account of the new colonies established each year.
When I get to my office I will post a link from France to show what some of these types of enterprise aspire to, and can be taking in 1000 euros and more per hive from concerned and supportive individuals, and still keeping most of the honey too. Nice work if you can get it but the admin must be terrifying.
Last edited by Calluna4u; 15-01-2016 at 09:10 AM.
As to the origins of their bees they're Buckfasts. Maybe you can point me in the direction of a Scottish origin supplier of these? I can think of one who trumpets british origin but whose claims, lets just say as this is a public forum, have been undermined. In any case I was careful not to say that the actual bees were imported. I said they were non-native which is true. I also said that KVH were well known importers - they may not be so directly but at second hand which may have been the more accurate thing to say.
Not sure I'd agree that making outlandish and false claims about "saving the bees" in order to rake money in is "nice work if you can get it". It does us all a disservice that these lies by these companies have taken such deep roots in the public consciousness.
[QUOTE=drumgerry;33952] Maybe you can point me in the direction of a Scottish origin supplier of these?QUOTE]
Myself? Our strains J7, J7A, and J25 are all Buckfast. Damn good and very well suited to our area....and yours btw.......several daughters of J7 got a cracking crop at the heather near Kincraig in 2015 and are into winter on 8 and 9 seams of bees in a Langstroth. We have supplied them to several people who are equally happy.
However, an AMM bee they most certainly are not. Also its a side alley, as there is absolutely no chance that the Kelvin Valley bees are of these lines.
Also........please don't dismiss the 'undermined supplier' as all bad. He uses two very good breeders in the UK to supply him with queens, Michael Collier, plus one other I know of, and might also sometimes get from Ged Marshall. Both use bees that are well suited to the UK climate.
Whilst its just plain daft to use bees that are poor performers in an area, the term locally adapted is misused to mean native types, and I have seen plenty Amm that were rubbish in this area, and plenty stock of non local origin that is brilliant and cross well.
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