Inspectors & DASH

[Bates]

I query for you all,

We are on the DASH and have passed the first stage and today my colleague is out with inspectors checking all the loads on what I thought would be our final inspection and approved onto the scheme for inspect our hives for the next 3 years without hassle and we can get on with our work.

Whilst Liz (our local inspector) is pleasant to deal with she is now telling me, she will be inspecting on a weekly basis because we import queens from Greece?! Does everyone have this treatment? We have been importing for 4 years and have only ever had docs checked and escorts / cages checked. I feel that we are being penalised for doing everything by the book and being 2 young lads that they can completely take the piss and waste our time.

We joined DASH so as we can inspect our own hives and we are far than capable. Ideally some views on this or where I stand? I would like to confirm if other large importers get this kind of treatment. I am 100% sure Eas y Be e does not have this treatment, so why us?!

Dan

 

[Hivemaker.]

Does not sound right to me, but if they are going to inspect your colonies every week there is no point bothering with the DASH scheme.

Build up lots of colony numbers and you will be giving them a full time job just inspecting your bees.

 

[Chris B]

Dan, the DASH requirement is just that all your bees must be inspected as an initial audit. If they've already done that then the weekly thing is either for a different reason, or there's been a misunderstanding somewhere. Last season all mine got audited but they struggled to find the time so it didn't finish until August or September, so I can't believe they really want to look at the same bees again and again. They don't have the resources to waste, which is why DASH has come along in the first place. I would challenge the weekly visit but stick it out whatever happens.

 

[Chrisfnvs]

I would enquire to her superiors to find out what the real position was, as Peter says it does not sound right to me either, when i have enquired about importing Queens into the UK they seemed very relaxed about it, just one form to fill in and let them know where the Queens end up, no mention of inspecting our colonies or anything else.

 

[B+.]

she is now telling me, she will be inspecting on a weekly basis because we import queens from Greece?!

I didn't have anything like this. It was a straight inspection of all my colonies.
I have a document somewhere that describes the process. I don't remember reading about regular insections.
I can only assume that this is something extra that they are doing

 

[Chrisfnvs]

Dan, how did you get on with phase two of DASH in the end, and any news/ update on these weekly inspections by the SBI ? Chris

 

[B+.]

Dan, how did you get on with phase two of DASH in the end, and any news/ update on these weekly inspections by the SBI ? Chris

They talked a lot about how their work was going to be risk based. I wonder what they know that we don't
I import from Germany in July but I haven't even heard from my sbi (Peter Folge) this year.

 

[Bates]

The risk based in a load of BS, they will inspect everything as we only had 1 apiary that was within an outbreak zone and everything has been checked every year.

I emailed Andy Wattam to confirm and he confirmed it was as I though originally so no need worry any longer. On another note we completed the inspections last week and we are now DASH approved (all clean too).

Response below -

Good Afternoon Daniel,

No I don’t think we have met before – I expect one day we shall which would be good.

There is some confusion here about what is and isn’t required – so I will hopefully dispel some of the fears you have.

Firstly the DASH Scheme is about Disease and not about Importation of Queens the legal requirements for both are different , but as you will see from my response below - for the purposes of this that is purely academic. I am also copying Liz into my response to you so that she is fully aware of what is said.

You are quite correct that when the DASH baseline inspection is complete that is essentially it until the next accreditation date in 3 years-time.

Your importations of queens are done correctly and are therefore picked up by TRACES – for example I see that your first consignment has this number beside it: Traces Ref: **************** – which means that we don’t even need to see the paperwork which travels with the bees anymore (this is new this year) and is I think much better. You should hang onto the copies of the paperwork but we will not be wanting to come and see it unless something drastic cracks off.

Queen Imports which are from EU Countries do not require the sending in of Cages and Attendant workers as you know – that is only for Queen Imports from 3rd Countries – Australia, New Zealand and Argentina and there is currently no intention for that to change so there is not issue for you there.

So by my reckoning when Liz is finished with you this week then that is essentially the end of our inspections with you until reaccreditation in 2018. The only exception to this is where either you ask us to come for a particular reason or you are selected as part of the National Surveillance Scheme for a Statutory Honey Sample to be taken of which only about 60 are taken right across the Country each year.

I am meeting with Alex & Margaret from the Beefarmers in Early June and will confirm this with them as you mention that you have taken up your concerns with them – I will also let them know that we have communicated too.

Does what I have said ease your mind a little? If not may I suggest we speak on the telephone at your convenience?

Kindest Regards.

Andy

 

[B+.]

Congratulations
I'm glad to hear they aren't especially concerned about the imports

Incidentally, do you (or anyone) have access to TRACES? I have asked Keith Morgan about it. He said he'd get back to me on Friday but didn't

 

[mbc]

Congratulations
I'm glad to hear they aren't especially concerned about the imports

+1
I wouldn't say they weren't concerned about the imports though, the whole point of dash is to empower beekeepers with training and have confidence in their own competence and diligence to keep an eye out for their own bees.

 

[dpearce4]

I wish I even knew my SBI or RBI I have been keeping bees for 4years and had 1 inspection in that time. Not good enough in my eyes.

 

[Bates]

Incidentally, do you (or anyone) have access to TRACES? I have asked Keith Morgan about it. He said he'd get back to me on Friday but didn't

I can't say I do. Did he get back to you at all?

Dan

 

[B+.]

Not yet. It was a bank holiday today so I didn't expect a call today

 

[Alex ELlis]

As BFA members will know, DASH is a partnership arrangement with the inspectorate, providing a benefit for its members. The scheme has been extremely successful in its early stages, but inevitably there will be wrinkles that need ironing out. As the coordinator on the BFA side of things, and as a general point, I would be grateful if members would direct queries to me, Alex Ellis (Membership and Administration), in the first instance. BFA can only assist with issues and support members if it is made aware of them - the earlier the better to avoid molehills becoming mountains.

 

[B+.]

Not yet. It was a bank holiday today so I didn't expect a call today

Sorry for using your original thread but this is where I raised my original question.

I finally got an answer from Keith Morgan re: TRACES

In case any of you are considering sending queens to island mating stations its a pain. You have to apply for a licence via beebase and your sbi will come and verify that there are no notifiable diseases in/near your apiary. APHA will issue a health certificate and you'll be allowed to send the consignment. You have to do the same thing in reverse to bring them back after mating.
I am informed that pipettes of semen don't have the same restriction though and you can send/receive them without a licence. I have to confess that I was suprised at this (as they are still products of animal origin (POAO) according to the definitions in TRACES).

I raised the point with Keith Morgan that my sbi could spend a lot of time doing the same inspections over and over again (which is an incredible waste of time). Keith agreed but said this is his understanding of how it works and I should apply through BeeBase. It seems to me that its just an obstacle and its simpler to import queens without trying to breed my own.

Has anyone received different advice?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Similar to exporting queens, if on a regular basis the bees have to be inspected every thirty days, once the license is granted it can be done partly online, until the next inspection is due.

 

[B+.]

Similar to exporting queens, if on a regular basis the bees have to be inspected every thirty days, once the license is granted it can be done partly online, until the next inspection is due.

Thats what I was told too. Thanks Peter. Its just seems cumbersome in this day and age to be going through such a long winded procedure