A few years ago I was asked by a bro to look at some abandoned apiaries up on the coast. When i was hitching I was picked up by an SPCA inspector and he told me that when the bees are placed in a box they become a managed insect. When explained about the abandoned apiaries he told me the beek should be prosecuted under the animal welfare act but this has never been tested in court.
Another bizarre beekeeping rule ?
- Thread starter StephenB
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I do recall something slightly similar, some years ago I read in the paper a woman in America was sued and fined under their animal welfare laws. The husband had a very impressive marine reef tank with live corals, invertebrates, fish etc, it required a lot of time and a lot of money.
The wife got sick of it, poured bleach in and killed everything.
Which also put the final nail in the marriage. But as well as the divorce proceedings the wife was sued under their animal cruelty laws for I don't remember how much money but quite a decent sum.
The wife got sick of it, poured bleach in and killed everything.
Which also put the final nail in the marriage. But as well as the divorce proceedings the wife was sued under their animal cruelty laws for I don't remember how much money but quite a decent sum.
This might be a worthy cause for APINZ to fund a little research in ......
"Why do bees get grumpy when we open the lid to see what they are up to".
A good start might be having a chat with Barry Benson.
"Why do bees get grumpy when we open the lid to see what they are up to".
A good start might be having a chat with Barry Benson.
Putting hives into kiwifruit orchards would breach the code of conduct on several counts. Putting them into covered kiwifruit orchards would breach even more and given the high bee morbidity rates associated with covered blueberry orchards they would definitely be off the list of acceptable practices. If your hives want to swarm then you would have to let them.
A fine set of feelgood rules put together by marketers.
Have a think about code of conducts and what would happen if they were applied in a similar manner to fishing, hunting, pest control et cetera.
Look after your hives the best you can. That is a code of conduct.
A fine set of feelgood rules put together by marketers.
Have a think about code of conducts and what would happen if they were applied in a similar manner to fishing, hunting, pest control et cetera.
Look after your hives the best you can. That is a code of conduct.
To me this is just some government bureaucratic plonker creating a job for themselves, but the problem is they don't just create a job for themselves, they create a little kingdom of bureaucrats, along with wasting time of primary producers dreaming up documents to perform under stipulated conditions. If we are not careful, nobody will be able to do anything in primary production without contravening some law or another. We will be told precisely when to do something, how to do it, and it might even get to the stage if we actually want to do some work in our outfits, we won't be able to do it, cos we will have to put in an application to arrange and pay for someone under the control of a bureaucrat to do it. ..... Then what is the outcome or penalty legally if we don't do it?
So if swarming, drifting, varroa re infestation, wasp attack, starvation or mice in the hive occur, a farmer not containing their stock (e.g. hole in the fence or going AWOL while herding), these are potentially against this code of practice.
Is the pressure for this code coming from MPI?
Bee Movie - Wikipedia The last two sentences in this link under "Plot" I think say it all!
So if swarming, drifting, varroa re infestation, wasp attack, starvation or mice in the hive occur, a farmer not containing their stock (e.g. hole in the fence or going AWOL while herding), these are potentially against this code of practice.
Is the pressure for this code coming from MPI?
Bee Movie - Wikipedia The last two sentences in this link under "Plot" I think say it all!
I now (thanks Dennis) understand the marketing rationale behind this. it cannot be faulted. The best way forward is to simple nod wisely agree that the code is a good idea and that everyone pretty much does it anyway then forget about the whole thing. If AFB crooks can't be brought to account who's going to inspect for code breaking ? (And how?) If it's a feel good thing for the export markets why buck it ?
Probably a good call Yesbut .....lets go with the code .....
But then I read on stuff about ten ways we can save the planet , go electric, buy second hand, eat vegetarian , and , wait for it ..... shy away fom giving your money to agriculture as we are the biggest emitters.
Some one in Wellington needs to get on their bike and peddle over the hill and see whats happening in the hinterland..... perhaps take an APINZ rep with them .... but the cafe at the other will be shut as most of the patrons have conformed and are not eating agriculurally proiduced food.
But then I read on stuff about ten ways we can save the planet , go electric, buy second hand, eat vegetarian , and , wait for it ..... shy away fom giving your money to agriculture as we are the biggest emitters.
Some one in Wellington needs to get on their bike and peddle over the hill and see whats happening in the hinterland..... perhaps take an APINZ rep with them .... but the cafe at the other will be shut as most of the patrons have conformed and are not eating agriculurally proiduced food.
Yesbut is on it.
Why do people pay far more for a pot of honey, than a $2 jar of jam or other spread type next to it?
Because they have a mental image of sunny fields with happy little buzzy bees visting flowers and working for the common good. All under the care of a beekeeper who is of course a nature loving friendly person totally in tune with his bees.
Laugh at the image, but that's what sells honey. The code is a draft at this time, but I say pay it lip service
Why do people pay far more for a pot of honey, than a $2 jar of jam or other spread type next to it?
Because they have a mental image of sunny fields with happy little buzzy bees visting flowers and working for the common good. All under the care of a beekeeper who is of course a nature loving friendly person totally in tune with his bees.
Laugh at the image, but that's what sells honey. The code is a draft at this time, but I say pay it lip service
Think about it. If you hives want to swarm they going to swarm.
The skill of the beekeeper is manipulating the hive in such a way that now the bees don't want to swarm
4 (a) provide hive ware and good practice hive management to ensure bees have sufficient space and have opportunities to exhibit behaviours they are strongly motivated to engage in.
If I understand this paragraph correctly then surely I would have to let my hives swarm if they want to as I would be responsible to give them opportunities to do things they were strongly motivated to do and they can sure be motivated to swarm at times. As it is worded it seems that I would not only have to let them swarm but also make sure they have the opportunity to do so.
Surely manipulating them in such a way that the bees don't want to swarm is depriving them of an opportunity to exhibit their strongly motivated behaviour.
I get were a lot of this coming from. I don't like battery hens and I don't like sows in sow crates . I actively avoid buying these products which should be incentive enough for growers but when these rules get applied in New Zealand but not on imports into New Zealand you have to wonder.
My concerns are not just about a beekeeping code of practice but about how rules, regulations and interpretations of those regulations are impacting on our costs and our lives. Some of this has been driven by well-meaning bureaucracy and some of it has been driven by people who want to see every animal mankind has a symbiotic relationship with disappear.
My honey may not be extra virgin, Pure, True, super MGO or back by huge marketing campaigns but it's still nice honey and my hives may not be protected by a code of conduct and I do try and stop them swarming but they are loved.
If I understand this paragraph correctly then surely I would have to let my hives swarm if they want to as I would be responsible to give them opportunities to do things they were strongly motivated to do and they can sure be motivated to swarm at times. As it is worded it seems that I would not only have to let them swarm but also make sure they have the opportunity to do so.
Surely manipulating them in such a way that the bees don't want to swarm is depriving them of an opportunity to exhibit their strongly motivated behaviour.
I get were a lot of this coming from. I don't like battery hens and I don't like sows in sow crates . I actively avoid buying these products which should be incentive enough for growers but when these rules get applied in New Zealand but not on imports into New Zealand you have to wonder.
My concerns are not just about a beekeeping code of practice but about how rules, regulations and interpretations of those regulations are impacting on our costs and our lives. Some of this has been driven by well-meaning bureaucracy and some of it has been driven by people who want to see every animal mankind has a symbiotic relationship with disappear.
My honey may not be extra virgin, Pure, True, super MGO or back by huge marketing campaigns but it's still nice honey and my hives may not be protected by a code of conduct and I do try and stop them swarming but they are loved.
An interesting thread to read. I can't believe that some are getting up in arms about it when it looks like a suggested code that - when consumers or customers ask about the welfare of bees - then beekeepers can point to a best practice document on farming bees.
The last point:
"Indicators of achievement:
• Bees are healthy, vigorous and engaging in behaviours they are motivated to perform."
Now replace 'bees' with 'beekeepers*.
The last point:
"Indicators of achievement:
• Bees are healthy, vigorous and engaging in behaviours they are motivated to perform."
Now replace 'bees' with 'beekeepers*.
LOL. The bees themselves do not have a care plan for aged queens, they are diosposed of with no mercy. No code of conduct here.
I did post this video a while back so apologies to those who already seen it
John, This is up for discussion, and so it should be. Most people don't seem to be disputing that there should be a code of practise. It appears to be the wording and the future implications of the wording. I am not against this Code, but my thoughts are that the wording of this Code is critical. It is good that ApiNZ have advertised their code and future webinar meeting.
Recently there was a nationwide Howl of Protest protesting increased government interference, bureaucracy, unjustifiable costs to the rural sector and Significant Natural Areas. I think this was (but I could be wrong here) organised by Fed Farmers. This all needs to be taken into account. Primary producers, including commercial beekeepers, are getting worn out by bureaucracy and the cost, and it would be great if their blue collar opinions at the coalface are taken into account. These blue collar workers/owners are the base of the commercial beekeeping industry.
I can see it now, the Ethical Apiary Management Agency, and the National Ethical Apiary Management Plan, and the Ethical Apiary Management Levy. Who do you think should run it ?
Count me out .... I just been told to pop some concrete pills ..... what the heck are ethics ?
Hmm... apparently I am classed these days as an oldy, and apparently we are in the habit of going AWOL (no idea what that means). What's the active ingredient of a concrete pill? Is it something you pop if you want to repair a bridge? Do you "pop" them with alcohol?! Can do the alcohol thing, cos that's one of the few things that seems to be left in our supermarket. We have a bridge down the road that needs major repairs, and will be an absolute hassle when that occurs.