BBKA Forum

For those who take their bees to the moors....the following news article may be of interest.
Billions of heather beetles killed by cold North Easterly winds and washed up on the beaches around Scarborough.
We have similar weather conditions arising again this weekend, hot and warm tomorrow and Thursday and back to cold NE winds. Seems like the "annual curse" of cold NE winds around the coast here may have it's uses...here's hoping a few billion more meet their maker.
How or why they ended up in the sea is not clear.....the moors are quite a way North and inland from Scarborough.
Report from the Scarborough news.

https://tinyurl.com/r2rwqjp

I saw that article Nigel. It's fascinating how nature seems to have killed this beetle in Such numbers. As you say, hopefully a good sign for the Heather Moors.

I was reading about it this morning..weired how the beetles where heading out to sea..I wonder what had driven them to do it.

Steve 1972 wrote: ↑

16 Apr 2020, 12:44

I was reading about it this morning..weired how the beetles where heading out to sea..I wonder what had driven them to do it.

Or..... Could it be beetles migrating into the area from elsewhere ?? Just sayin

MickBBKA wrote: ↑

17 Apr 2020, 11:39

Or..... Could it be beetles migrating into the area from elsewhere ?? Just sayin

Remember that Monty Python song always look on the bright side of life..

A heather update for anyone thinking of taking their bees to it.
Western edges of the North Yorks moors are badly affected in places by heather beetle damage. Whilst there are vast swathes of living heather there are also vast swathes of dead heather, it's not a nice sight. The earlier mass spring beetle kill on the east coast didn't have much effect on the west side.
Bell is all in flower....The ling is still 2-3 weeks off.
I shall probably start taking my bees to 2 of the local moors towards the end of this month. Am uniting and strengthening colonies in preparation already.

Thanks for the update Nigel. I was preparing to take some up to a site near Goathland. Its always difficult knowing how well on the Ling is when you are not up there.

Nigel how is the Ling doing? Forecast looks naff moving on. I was thinking of picking the hives up at the weekend.

Patrick

The Ling is looking good, the weather is pants. Am leaving mine until around 2nd week in Sept, unless the forecast gets worse. Just need 1 week of good weather. Fingers crossed.

Hmm. Thanks for the update, I need to rethink it seems. I am away first week in September.

Cheers.