In the last few weeks we were in receipt of several cancellations of nucleus orders from west central Scotland.
It seemed to be co-ordinated, and I have just been given an explanation by someone today. In certain ways I am very disappointed that this should have happened and am thinking 'foul'.
Any nucs we sell are *strictly home bred*, using ONLY queens bred here in our unit......visited last season by the CABA group. Every colony in the breeding unit and also in the drone units nearby are from groups free of EFB for at least three years. The nucs are established using only two bars from existing healthy hives and sterilised or new frames with new foundation used to make up the rest of the nuc, then our mated laying queen added, then raised onwards in apiaries consisting ONLY of such nucs, and contains at time of sale ONLY the bees from the queen in the colony. At time of sale the nucs are fully inspected by very well trained and reliable people, usually by Jolanta herself. Later this season they are expected to also have official certification available on them.
These are well bred and very gentle bees, and those who have had them are generally very pleased with them. Sure, they are not Amm (but some are Amm type)....for those there seems to be niche demand and not a lot more......very few of our inquiries ask if we have them.
Now perhaps *some* of the cancellations of 'bees from east of Scotland' from 'prominent beekeepers' will not have come into the area in question, but there are two routes by which this has done your members a disservice. Some of these orders have gone to traders. I know this...they have told me so...and they will be getting nucs either originating from imported packages and queens, or home raised in areas which sometimes have higher EFB rates than we currently have in this area, and may not be subject to the scrutiny our own production is. Some of these orders will also now be getting bees from me anyway, just through another channel who may not be telling you this. For the avoidance of buying direct and getting the care you would get, you get the same bees from a third party and pay maybe 50 to 100 quid more.
Its no great skin off my nose, as in the last two weeks we have had a deluge of orders and are now fully sold out of overwintered nucs anyway, but it is unjust to knife an enterprise trying to address a previously identified problem (shortage of home raised nucs), and to be doing it with care, yet at the same time trying to provide at a cost that does not rip people off.
If I sell you anything imported I tell you EXACTLY what you are getting, it comes with a proper health certificate, and the authorities are also informed. Are you sure you are getting the same level of transparency and ethics from other vendors who through non declaration are deemed OK to buy from?????
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