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HIVE COUNT

PostPosted:04 Nov 2019, 19:39
by AdamD
The Animal and Plant Health Agency are asking us to update their records of hive count which can be done via Beebase.
http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?

Last year there were an estimated 244,000 colonies of bees in the UK.

If you are not already registered on Beebase, it's worthwhile doing so as you'll get notifications of disease in your area - and there's some good stuff on there too.

Beebase informs me that I have 79 apiaries within 10 km of my home apiary. I don't know whether that's a low or high number. Can anyone compare? Moving towards the coast where I occasionally have bees at the office it's 52.

Re: HIVE COUNT

PostPosted:04 Nov 2019, 20:35
by Patrick
180 apiaries registered on beebase within 10km of me..

Re: HIVE COUNT

PostPosted:04 Nov 2019, 22:19
by Japey Edge
53 within 10km of me

Re: HIVE COUNT

PostPosted:05 Nov 2019, 00:13
by nealh
152 it say's for me.

Re: HIVE COUNT

PostPosted:05 Nov 2019, 08:48
by Alfred
I'm currently being harassed/bullied into registering by the local reps which is sadly for them having the exact opposite effect....

Re: HIVE COUNT

PostPosted:05 Nov 2019, 12:56
by NigelP
Not sure how meaningful the apiary numbers per 10k are. It's a huge area and even my remote heather sites where there is at least 5k in any direction of nothing but moorland still shows 40 apiary sites.

IIRC the requirement for determining the number of hives is that it affects the amount of money APHA get from the EU.
The more hives the more money. In many other European countries this money is awarded in grants to beekeepers to help expand their operations or subsidise equipment. In the UK it goes directly into APHA's pocket and we see nothing. Whilst we can blame government funding cuts for the shoestring service they now have, even when well funded nowt ever found its way down to the grass roots.
I think I shall record a negative number :D

Re: HIVE COUNT

PostPosted:05 Nov 2019, 14:38
by Patrick
Wonder if those 40 heather apiary sites represent locations used seasonally and more historically.

I have heard of folk down with issues of summer drought and heather beetle affecting the viability of transporting hives to the moors. Don't know how true that is in practice.

Re: HIVE COUNT

PostPosted:05 Nov 2019, 16:26
by NigelP
On a closer look it's a 10 Km circle, even with say 5km radius of moorland empty (I have sole access so no other legal apiaries on there) ) it still takes in the nearby town of Thirsk and hence the numbers are up. So it;'s not much use, far better to give density of say 1/2 that radius.
Moving back home where Thirsk is about 5k away the number increase to 50 apiaries. And I know the nearest 4 beekeepers are 2km and 4km away.
It would be a very useful tool if you could adjust the radius and see what is in your immediate vicinity.

Re: HIVE COUNT

PostPosted:05 Nov 2019, 17:09
by AdamD
There must be a measure of distance in the software somewhere as I have had warnings of EFB within 3 km of my home apiary.
I bet Nigel, there will be some apiaries nearby that you don't know exist. I expect there will also be some that were listed some time ago and have not had bees for years.

Re: HIVE COUNT

PostPosted:08 Nov 2019, 11:44
by DianeBees
Alfred wrote:
05 Nov 2019, 08:48
I'm currently being harassed/bullied into registering by the local reps which is sadly for them having the exact opposite effect....

local reps of where?

Why wouldn't you register?


No. of other apiaries within a 10KM radius: 249