DWV spread 'manmade'

[The Drone Ranger]

Me sarcastic ?
SDM how could you say such a cruel thing?
I thought I was pointing out that the purpose of imports are to make money for the importer not to save Britain from running out of bees, farmers having to starve in the streets or improving the quality of UK bee stocks
I will try to be less obtuse in future


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[greengumbo]

Perhaps next time you're faced with a question like" what viruses is it you're scared of being imported".
If you don't have an answer, try not giving one.

Yeah Fatshark ! Time you got educated about viruses. Go read a book or something

[drumgerry]

"Spouting your ignorance"???? And this isn't trolling? This from the person I had to block on Facebook after an aggressive message saying I had called you a liar. Gavin - this feels like Doris and Eric all over again......

[mbc]

Perhaps next time you're faced with a question like" what viruses is it you're scared of being imported".
If you don't have an answer, try not giving one.

Perhaps I'll answer however I like within the rules of the forum, and what part of "deadly to my bees strain of virus" are you confused by?
A new variant of a known virus is just as potentially damaging as a novel one.
I'm glad we're not conversing face to face, I get the feeling you'd put me in an arm-lock, cuff me and give me a shoeing on the floor for holding an opinion different to yours.

[The Drone Ranger]

Is there a CSI virus or is that just something I got off the Telly ?

[gavin]

Just briefly stopping by .... loved the order to fatshark to go read a book

Worth pointing out also that mbc isn't a small guy so could likely defend himself quite effectively.

OK, we've had some challenging posts on this thread. C4U might have been on the wind-up when he was telling us of new orders achieved but I value his openness and think his posts add a lot to the discussion on here. Was it blatant advertising? Probably not, and I'd much rather have that information (on costs and the like) in this particular public domain than not. He knows, you know, that his views on some beekeeping issues are poles apart from mine yet we get on very well. So let's all of us try.

I intended (and intend) to give SDM a straight answer to his question. He may want to listen. Perhaps tonight, I'm off out now to enjoy the rare sunshine.

[Calluna4u]

I thought I was pointing out that the purpose of imports are to make money for the importer

Well I don't know about others but I am pretty hard to offend and actually found your deadpan antiposition quite amusing. Surely there is room for some humour here or are we all sour faced old fuddyduddies that 'are not amused'......

However......to pick up on the one part above.....you have no idea what my costings are and not going to repeat the selling price here either for fear of being accused of advertising again.

Suffice to say, on the ONE import that was Scottish Enterprise and Perth and Angus council supported I had to provide full details of the costings and the assistance was calculated against that. When the hard weather aid was initially mooted as possible restocking help (in the end it was not) everything was prepared for total transparency on costs. The margin allowed was costs only, and we selected a relatively expensive source (still the one we are using) as it provided the comfort I insisted upon for safety, and this was even before the discovery of SHB in Calabria. The price today is not greatly changed, although I managed to negotiate the buying price a LITTLE better. I will NEVER grow fat on package bee imports, and you quite conveniently choose to ignore our breeding project which is designed to reduce any need we may have for imported packages, though I will always want to be able to bring in breeder stock I see as of benefit and that will enhance our stock.

Also....to Fatshark etc.....please do not think this aligns me with those who seek to dismiss viruses as an issue. Quite perversely (as Fatshark will know) a few of my package bee customers are buying precisely because their bees were succumbing to viruses, and the new stock seems less susceptible. Give it a couple of years for a definitive answer on that however...... But for now they are buying in package bees they see as better than their local types at handling the problem. (Just for forum info....this is not in Scotland)

I take virus seriously, but you cannot go around banning everything because of unknown unknowns. Asian hornet (which actually is one thing that does cause me concern especially in the south) arrived in Europe in pottery apparently. Other things arrived in wood. Do we seek to ban these too? To be fair to Fatshark, he is uniquely well informed and his writings are to be ignored only if you are rash.

Viruses ARE an issue, but the potent variant could just as easily arise or be dispersed from a UK origin, indeed more domestic bees are traded than imported if you examine the whole market including the amateur sector. Old drum, but I'll beat it again....this is one of the least safe origins for bees due to the lack of impartial and/or official pre sale inspection and certification.

[madasafish]

Hmm

I see no point in trying to prevent the spread of viruses through imports when people "owning" bees don't have to register on Beebase.

How will you control an outbreak of ANY disease if you don't know where all the bees are?
Any Serious attempt to control disease and viruses must start with what should be under local control. The fact that it does not shows beekeepers (i.e read National BeeKeeping Associations and the Bee Units)are not serious about disease control. And the fact that individual beekeepers can do what they like when medicinally treating bees only reinforces that view.

If bee keepers were serious about control of disease, they would ensure all bee hives were registered and only approved (and effective) disease treatments were allowed.

Edit : as it is, officially I am treatment free.

[The Drone Ranger]

Apologies C4u "and you quite conveniently choose to ignore our breeding project which is designed to reduce any need we may have for imported packages"

It wasn't convenience I assure you
My omission might have occurred for any number of reasons but I think the principle ones were

I wasnt and still amn't (is that a word) fully aware of the extent of your breeding with bees
Also I was trying to dodge a very large elephant which was in the room at the time

I do hope I won't be blackballed on account of this when I apply for membership of the BIC (bee importers club)
I have used your pens for poking holes in things, and even writing on occasion, for many years man and boy
BIBBA are possibly already unhappy with me and so I thought of just turning my coat

Perhaps there is some hope of a career hunting down feral farmers who will be roaming the countryside if bee imports have to stop
I saw an American program Dog and Beth advertised, they seem to do pretty well financially
(I'm not entirely sure which one is the dog they both looked a bit rough to me)

Anyway say no more I am packing my DR Zhivago hat in preparation for the frosty wastelands of Crieff

[SDM]

I intended (and intend) to give SDM a straight answer to his question. He may want to listen. Perhaps tonight, I'm off out now to enjoy the rare sunshine.

I look forward to it, as that's why I asked the question, it certainly was not to incite public declarations of mysophobia.