Radio 4, 11.00 am today

[Skyhook]

Programme coning up on american migratory beekeeping- sounds quite informative.

Happy listening.


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[straightman21]

Many thanks for heads up. Scarily fascinating programme!!

 

[Lorenz]

That Randy Oliver is impressive.

 

[itma]

Well worth a listen, especially if you don't know about US migratory beekeeping.
Interviews with Randy Oliver (scientificbeekeeping.com), etc.

Repeated Thursday evening.
And it is on iPlayer.

 

[itma]

13,000 hives is a medium-sized beekeeper ...


// I'm sure they have those that are scornful of mere 3 (thousand) hive owners and their silly ideas!

 

[BeeJayBee]

It's being repeated on Thursday (28th March?) at 21:00 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01rg226

 

[itma]

Getting through 1,200 to 1,500 queens per year per thousand hives ain't exactly good husbandry.
Also a bit surprised at the idea of 20% failures to overwinter (in Florida) for splits having been given a new queen.

The bees are simply a 'consumable' in a profitable industry.

The lessons to be learned are about pitfalls to avoid, not practices to emulate.

 

[alanf]

Getting through 1,200 to 1,500 queens per year per thousand hives ain't exactly good husbandry.

It's beekeeping Jim, but not as we know it. 10,000 miles travelling in a year?

Educational certainly. Trying to introduce a bit of journalistic sensationalism about 'nuking' was unfortunate and clunky. I hesitate to mention pesticides but what I thought was an interesting point was the changing attitude; the Florida beekeeper who used to have "process" citrus orchards available (I guess for juicing/pulp) that were not sprayed but now migrates to California to avoid them. Contrast with the recognition by some almond growers that saturation spraying isn't a long term strategy. What appeared to be a quick chemical fix is being backed away from, yet other previously pesticide free areas are way back on the learning curve and still ramping up the usage.

 

[flemage]

I was in the car when this was on and didnt get the bit about using more than one queen a year?

why would you replace a new queen within the year?

Wouldnt this just set the hive back?

Confused as normal....

 

[Skyhook]

I was in the car when this was on and didnt get the bit about using more than one queen a year?

why would you replace a new queen within the year?

Wouldnt this just set the hive back?

Confused as normal....

I still haven't heard it all, but I think it was down to queens failing, rather than choice. I understand that some pesticides can damage sperm both in the drone and in the spermatheca, so may be to do with that.

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[mbc]

Getting through 1,200 to 1,500 queens per year per thousand hives ain't exactly good husbandry.
Also a bit surprised at the idea of 20% failures to overwinter (in Florida) for splits having been given a new queen.

The bees are simply a 'consumable' in a profitable industry.

The lessons to be learned are about pitfalls to avoid, not practices to emulate.

Horses for courses though isn't it, they do produce ridiculous quantities of almonds.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Horses for courses though isn't it, they do produce ridiculous quantities of almonds.

Don't they move them around all year - onto blueberries and cranberries as well, for example?

 

[Hivemaker.]

It's being repeated on Thursday (28th March?) at 21:00 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01rg226

It is also still on now, just listened to it, nice radio program.

 

[Luminos]

Horses for courses though isn't it, they do produce ridiculous quantities of almonds.

Are they finding traces of horses in almonds now, then

 

[mbc]

Don't they move them around all year - onto blueberries and cranberries as well, for example?

Ridiculous quantities of blueberries and cranberries, apples, melons, plums etc too I imagine.
Almonds would be the biggest tax on queens though as they initiate brood rearing so early in order to be up to strength for its pollination.

 

[mbc]

It is also still on now, just listened to it, nice radio program.

 

[theeggman]

It's due to be repeated on Thurs 28 at 9pm. on radio 4 .

 

[BeeJayBee]

Just listened to it online. I thought it was very good.

I hadn't realised the sheer scale of the almond growing area. I think they said it was 750,000 acres (about 1,000 square miles). According to Wikipedia, the whole of UK is 94,060 sq miles.

 

[fiftyjon]

Good radio programme to listen to on my lunch break.

 

[Skyhook]

The conclusion seemed to be that most of the problems are down to the way pollination is carried out, so they'll just have to keep coming up with sticking-plaster fixes to keep it going.

I wonder how long before it occurs to someone that there may be a better way of doing it? eg re-intoducing natural weeds/wildflowers as ground cover beneath the trees so that the area can support either natural pollinators, or a longer term honeybee population? At $200/hive, there must be an incentive for the growers to look for alternatives, in spite of the pressures of capitalism.

If you're in a motor race, and your engine is rattling, your best strategy may be to slow down.

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