Alastair 8,627 Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Just had an experience that i think calls for a law change. Out working bees today and got a call from someone cos the hive he recently bought has died. Close to where I was so went and took a look. It was dead from AFB, and being robbed. As I was there, by amazing coincidence the seller showed up. She was surprised to be told the hive had AFB. I suggested that her own hives should be checked, she said no, they do not have AFB. They could not have, she said, because they all are dead. So I asked what they died of, she said cold. So I said there is a good chance they have AFB, they need checking. No, she said, and started getting angry. Things got beligerant and it was a waste of time discussing further. I am going to report it and go the legal route. The rest of the conversation showed this person knows very little about bees, and nothing about AFB. Yet she has been selling bees, up until all her hives, and those of the friend that was helping her, all died. Right now they are all sitting outside where they died, open for robbing. I'm thinking there should be a law about who can sell bees. OK anyone should be able to sell bees even newby's, or how can someone who decides to quit sell their stuff. But maybe anything sold should be checked first by a DECA holder, or, something like that. 3 12 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kiwi Bee 589 Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 @Alastaircan you tell us the area where this irresponsible person has her dead hives? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,975 Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 @Alastair how do you clean your hive tool after a check . Do you scorch it . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alastair 8,627 Posted October 22, 2018 Author Share Posted October 22, 2018 No because she would not even give me her address, nor do the other people know it. But I will find out through legal channels, and then if the hives do have AFB, a robout notice will be sent to those in the area. The sold hive, which does have AFB and was being robbed, I will report in the morning and a notice will be sent to those in the area. To clean my hive tool I have a butane burner in the truck. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aquila 612 Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 Auckland area. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Alastair 8,627 Posted October 22, 2018 Author Share Posted October 22, 2018 Yes Auckland I presume but that's about all I could guess at this stage. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cBank 801 Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 (edited) Do you have her registration number? How will the ministry find her? Thanks for taking the time to help with this, how’s the buyer doing? That’s a sad start. Edited October 22, 2018 by cBank 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nikki watts 905 Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 That’s disgusting. How many other sold hives are out there ready to infect others ?? people like that should be banned from owning bees. Well done helping out her unwitting buyer. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2,975 Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 @Alastair do you think she knew anything about bees and has ever looked in a hive.? I wonder if all her other hives are dead of ' cold ' like she says or she has more in a yard waiting to sell . Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Popular Post Alastair 8,627 Posted October 22, 2018 Author Popular Post Share Posted October 22, 2018 (edited) 1 hour ago, cBank said: Do you have her registration number? How will the ministry find her? I have a few other snippets of information that I believe will be enough for the ministry to find her, hopefully she will be dealt with in the next few days. But the purpose of this thread was not to go after this particular person, but was to use this example of what goes on to put the idea out there that some legal requirements about pre sale hive inspections would be a good idea. The buyer in this case said he wanted to register the hive, but was told by the seller he shouldn't bother. There was also no support, result, another rob out, more hives likely infected and more innocent hobby beekeeper victims. This type of thing should be punishable in some way. Edited October 22, 2018 by Alastair 1 10 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Trevor Gillbanks 6,846 Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 @Alastair That story gets worse as you keep adding to it. We had a similar problem here in Manawatu 18 months ago. Assistance from Assurequality was abysmal. Best wishes for sorting it. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rob Stockley 3,417 Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 I inspected one recently. Five frame FD NUC transfered into a ten frame box. Bees doing really well and no disease. I despaired at the state of the brood frames sold to this poor beginner. Munted comb, loads of drone brood. Clearly culled frames flogged off to the first sucker to come along. Clearly no pride taken in the quality of the NUC. Fortunately the beek has joined our club and will get support to cycle those frames out quickly. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
john berry 5,636 Posted October 22, 2018 Share Posted October 22, 2018 We have a local commercial beekeeper who despite an appalling AFB history sells hives to all and sundry. Three people I know who got hives from him had to burn 100%. Yes we need laws and enforcement. On the other hand you get the old. I got AFB from a nuc I brought. No it couldn't possibly have come from the boxes I used because they were my grandads and he never had AFB. 2 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fitzie 30 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 This kind of stuff is just so frustrating! Last year I had a guy approach my stall at the fete and say "Oh bees what lovely creatures. I have my own beehive in the backyard. It dies every year, but every time it dies a new swarm eventually turns up and keeps it going for another year." After I inquired further he made it clear he was not interested in talking AFB "nonsense" and I had to take a self-prescribed 15 minute break. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bighands 1,064 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 I agree we need a strengthening of the laws but who is going to pay.Not the beekeepers I hope. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mummzie 736 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 25 minutes ago, Bighands said: Not the beekeepers I hope. I hope you meant 'not the Legal Beekeepers' What would be the difficulty / downside to being prevented selling bees to non registered purchasers? It wont do the whole job, but its a start. I have just established some nucs for someone, and then discovered they aren"t registered. From now on that will be my first question. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bighands 1,064 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 Corr 41 minutes ago, Mummzie said: I hope you meant 'not the Legal Beekeepers' What would be the difficulty / downside to being prevented selling bees to non registered purchasers? It wont do the whole job, but its a start. I have just established some nucs for someone, and then discovered they aren"t registered. From now on that will be my first question. correct,not the legal beekeepers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Popular Post M4tt 4,941 Posted October 23, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted October 23, 2018 1 hour ago, Mummzie said: I hope you meant 'not the Legal Beekeepers' What would be the difficulty / downside to being prevented selling bees to non registered purchasers? It wont do the whole job, but its a start. I have just established some nucs for someone, and then discovered they aren"t registered. From now on that will be my first question. I ask anyone I now supply bees to, always new hobbiests, to register and put their number on the box before I will supply bees. It’s that easy 8 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tristan 4,362 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 21 hours ago, Alastair said: So I asked what they died of, she said cold. interesting the excuse she used was the one thing bee hives don't die of. sad thing is i've seen way to many of these types of people. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gabor 341 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 1 hour ago, M4tt said: I ask anyone I now supply bees to, always new hobbiests, to register and put their number on the box before I will supply bees. It’s that easy I'm afraid there are way more reckless people out there than you are. Especially the ones who don't even register themselves so they won't ask for registration numbers from the buyers. And you won't hear about them until the dreaded text messages start to appear. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
M4tt 4,941 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 (edited) 10 minutes ago, Gabor said: I'm afraid there are way more reckless people out there than you are. Especially the ones who don't even register themselves so they won't ask for registration numbers from the buyers. And you won't hear about them until the dreaded text messages start to appear. You are right . I choose to set an example . However I’m only small time , but I only supply bees to those I believe will set a good example in the future . I like to start hobbiests off on the right foot with the right information Edited October 23, 2018 by M4tt 1 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gabor 341 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 2 minutes ago, M4tt said: I like to start hobbiests of on the right foot with the right information Don't I know that? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Diane 76 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 The laws around selling hives should some what match the laws around selling honey, way behind in this area, I would pay a Levey to see trade me tidied up, no second hand gear, only sales if you have a reg number and to those with a reg number. Only can sell if seller holds a DECA. There is to much money and peoples lively hoods invested in the industry to have no rules regarding the sale and purchase of hives. It makes me grumpy to see old looking second hand gear on trade me with 20 bids and not one of those bids asking for AFB history 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nikki watts 905 Posted October 23, 2018 Share Posted October 23, 2018 I ran into a neighbour at the shop today. He came running over the tell me his bees had gone. He had been given a nuc two months ago (not by me) he said it was five frames with bees covering 2-3 frames. He noticed decreased activity and finally looked inside to find maybe 6 bees. He was quick to say although he has no idea what they died from they didn’t have afb. We have run an afb course here and paid for him to attend cause I knew he wanted bees but he has no deca and really no idea. My next question was did he treat for varroa , predictably he didn’t. He hasn’t bothered to close the hive up cause by the time he checked it had been robbed out. I have an apiary about 500mtrs away 6 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Don Mac 318 Posted October 24, 2018 Share Posted October 24, 2018 I think there is a problem of shyster sales persons passing on their problems to others and unfortunate but ignorant newbies to beekeeping. Perhaps we should be ensuring that new beekeepers are better trained and informed before they get their first hive. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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