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  • Coronavirus - essential travel only - affect your beekeeping

  • General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #5981  by Chrisbarlow
 19 Mar 2020, 08:38
I do think it will be a difficult season ahead. I suspect we will be able to access our bees due to them being livestock.

I've already had shows cancelled as well, the hard bits will be limited honey sales and difficulty moving nucs.

However for most this a hobby or supplimentary income so in the long run hopefully a non issue. As Mick mentions though, this will affect many peoples proper jobs and sadly that is the real issue.
 #5982  by AndrewLD
 19 Mar 2020, 09:06
Chrisbarlow wrote:
19 Mar 2020, 08:38
However for most this a hobby or supplimentary income so in the long run hopefully a non issue. As Mick mentions though, this will affect many peoples proper jobs and sadly that is the real issue.
You are absolutely right. I discovered yesterday that an acquaintance in the USA has seen his highly specialist motor engineering business die overnight and he is now relying on his wife's income. The poignant bit is that he has had to lay off his two mechanics and because there's no unemployment benefit kicking in, he and his wife are making payments to the mechanics to try and keep them and their families' heads above water as well as their own.
I do beekeeping just as hobby but many need that supplementary income to make up for inadequate pensions. At least the bees will manage in the short term without assistance, unlike most livestock.
 #5984  by nealh
 19 Mar 2020, 10:07
In the short term depends on foraging weather and checking of stores to prevent starvation, even isolation starvation. Going by my hives the heat being produced from even the small ones brooding appears to be going well, without looking inside they are busy bringing back pollen and likely nectar.
 #5985  by NigelP
 19 Mar 2020, 11:46
I'm fortunate that I should survive (unless succumb to infection) , although we do rely heavily on our income from honey sales. Unlikely to be many markets nor many passersby for a few months, so a lot depends on how long this goes on. Judging by extensions of lockdowns in Italy and Spain 15 days will not be long enough. At least I have plenty of honey stockpiled....

Interesting and puzzling observations on the "panic" buying....
Whilst nearly all tinned goods had gone at local Lidls and Tescos there were still plenty of canned tomatoes and Red kidney beans left....
Lidls had been cleared out of frozen veg except for Petit Pois.....weird...
I decided to join in the National Mind set and panic bought beer.....otherwise shopped as normal.
 #5987  by AndrewLD
 19 Mar 2020, 12:49
Apart from shamelessly taking advantage of the situation as an excuse to stock up the wine rack :oops: we haven't felt the urge to stock up, but then following 9/11 we have always kept a small reserve turned over. The other half thinks that people generally shop day to day with no reserves at all and this is what has caused the problem.
I have almost given up looking at the papers but the PM's 5.00pm briefing is now part of the routine and I pay very careful attention to what the CMO & CSO say; they mentioned 12-14 weeks very early on; so I don't think it is going to be less than that and we haven't really gone into lock down mode yet.
 #5988  by Chrisbarlow
 19 Mar 2020, 18:13
AndrewLD wrote:
19 Mar 2020, 12:49
the PM's 5.00pm briefing is now part of the routine and I pay very careful attention to what the CMO & CSO say; they mentioned 12-14 weeks very early on; so I don't think it is going to be less than that and we haven't really gone into lock down mode yet.
same here.
 #5994  by AndrewLD
 20 Mar 2020, 11:33
There's a newsletter just in saying that BBKA are checking situation re tending bees.

For Christmas I bought the other half two books on using honey in cooking recipes!

The newsletter also raises the question of feeding but I'll start a new thread.