Letters

Letters Traditional hives are failing our bees

I was pleased to see the article on bee hive design by Karen Bate on Page 90 (May 28). It suggests that the top bar hive is a better design for the bees. Elaine Spencer White of The BeeWayzz project postulates that traditional bee hive design is the problem for bees and I agree. What is natural for honey bees is not as important as what is the best habitation for honey bees. As designers of habitations for biological systems we can do much better than what is ‘natural’. The traditional thin walled, wood, vertical stacked hives have been in use for about 160 years unchanged, having all the environmental integrity of a cardboard box. 30% of bees die in them every winter. Even feral colonies do better so Elaine must be onto something. Traditional vertical stacked hives are the direct cause of the diseases of honey bees such as Nosema, Acarine and Varroa, because they give a cold, damp environment for the bee brood to live in and for Varroa to thrive in. Such a hive environment extends the bee pupation period, which increases the maturation period available for varroa to mature in those pupating cells. The Varroa mites exceed their replacement numbers exponentially. Winter is Varroa breeding heaven. The traditional wood hive was modelled on the champagne crates that the Reverend Langstroth just happened to have in his basement at the time and into which he fitted his patented movable frames, within which the bees made their colonies. Not a considered choice, but they did allow the bees to be managed for the first time and was a step forward in the development of a truly mutual symbiotic relationship between us and bees. Any relationship that is not to our mutual advantage may be virtuous, but it is charity and will not survive 36

Cartoon by Lyndon Wall justsocaricatures.co.uk

long term. If “natural” bee keeping involves bees taking up residence in natural cavities I suspect that we can do better for them and they for us. That is symbiosis. The bees in a ‘mutual’ symbiotic relationship supply us with honey and pollination services in exchange for us looking after them. We can give them a warm dry insulated home that can be expanded and contracted to the bees needs over the year. We treat diseases as we find them and feed them when they need it. Much of that has gone on in this cold spring. Elaine’s thesis is that we are not supplying a suitable habitation environment for the bees is correct, but the top bar hive is better, not the best for them. It forms a long slim shape that is not easy for the bees to keep warm since it has a large surface area to volume ratio. It is not insulated against heat loss and with bee entry at the bottom and ventilation at the top it creates a cooling ‘stack’ effect. It also has no thermal ‘weight’ to moderate the temperature over the day and night. Lesley Gasson’s comments in the top bar hive are inappropriate. They are easier to inspect, not harder and they carry no more disease than traditional vertical hives. They do not have to be dismantled as the traditional ones must be which and are not cheap either. So less stress on the bees, bee keepers back and wallet. Enrolling on a bee keeping course recommended by the British Bee Keeping Association as Master (surely Mistress) Beekeeper Lesley Gasson and being taught how to keep bees in traditional vertical hives is to see bad practise continued. A better prospect is to find a friendly local bee keeper to get experience with rather than a paper qualification obtained at great expense for a qualification from the BBKA, which endorsed systemic neonicotinoids insecticides for money before it was banned. Bill Summers Inventor of the ZEST hive Retired architect

n In the May 14th edition of the BVM, Sarah Potts complains about her rental increase of 2.5% compared with her NHS pay rise of 1%. There has been a lot said about the strain and stress experienced by NHS workers during the pandemic. I sympathise with them in that it is stressful to work excessive hours and to nurse dying patients. However the fact is that sick people, especially old sick people are likely to die in these circumstances and that nursing them really is in the job description. I would, however, point out that NHS workers, along with all those in the public sector, have remained in secure jobs, on full salaries with holiday and pension rights safeguarded throughout this period. This is very different from those outside the public sector, particularly the self-employed, who have been furloughed, made redundant or whose businesses have failed. No pay rises for them. Roger Grix Fifehead Magdalen

n As I live near Gillingham, I pop in and out all the time. To date I have yet to see a bicyclist using the new bicycles lanes that have been built on the bypass. The lanes are not continuous, which is a bit odd. I wonder how much it cost us taxpayers? Mrs Rosemary Corbin Zeals

n In his article (BVM, 28th May) Simon Hoare says that his response to the issue of a freetrade agreement with Australia and New Zealand is to ask, “Is it good for North Dorset?” Surely the most important question is, “Is it good for the planet?” I appreciate that Mr Hoare’s first responsibility is to his constituency of North Dorset, but we cannot afford to look at issues in such a parochial way: if the deal is bad for the planet think of the carbon footprint compared with more regional and local trade – then it will be bad for North Dorset. We are part of the wider world and will not be insulated from global

warming. The same argument applies to the government’s evident intention to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Much of this proposed trade is in agricultural products. At the same time, an advertisement has been broadcast recently on commercial radio inviting UK farmers to seek government advice and support in exporting their produce to distant parts of the world. It might make narrow economic sense to farmers or others to deal with world-wide markets, but the overall picture of food being shipped thousands of miles in opposite directions is a nonsense. How many more HGVs will be trundling thousands more miles at 9 miles per gallon of diesel? How much more fuel will be burned in shipping? How can all this be reconciled with the government’s declared aim of making the UK carbon-neutral? Mr Hoare says “I am not a laissez faire free trader nor a protectionist. I believe in responsible trade where checks, balances and review mechanisms are carved into agreements”. With the world warming at an unprecedented rate, we need to get this right first time – any “review” a few years hence will not be able to undo the damage. Colin Marsh Gillingham

Adrian Fisher’s article in the Business section on “Spending Priorities” was, quite frankly, risible. I was absolutely astounded to hear that HS2 wasn’t going to benefit Dorset (if you have a more blinkered view than that you are almost certainly a racehorse). I was also interested to hear that HS2 is seven times less valuable than FTTP (and the evidence for that being...?). More of this, factbased, detailed analysis from maze designers and other macro-economic experts in the New BV in the future, I hope. Name and address supplied

What a lovely receptacle!

Our printers’ chief found himself mightily impressed at this VERY posh vessel for our magazine in Ibberton. Simon West from Blackmore press saw the intricate wooden box during a walk at the weekend. He said: “It’s a bit more upmarket than the one in my village which is just a plastic storage container!” The distribution of the New Blackmore Vale has followed in the footsteps of the old magazine, with copies in telephone boxes, bus stops, some being picked up by people to distribute around their neighbourhood… Have you got a lovely distribution point for our magazines? Send us a picture!

n Having read your article (Fears over electricity supply, NBV, May 28) we have written to Cllr Carole Jones, Hilary Jordan and Jon Sellgren. Surely the answer does indeed lie to some extent with Dorset Council? After all they gave planning permission for these industrial estates as per the local plans that were in place at the time and had DC been ‘on the ball’ at the time they would have made it a condition that all new buildings had more than the set minimum of standards for sustainability including grey water usage and solar panels of one type or another. Sustainable development would of course include the ability of any site to be supplied well into the future with all the water and electricity it required. Solar panels on industrial buildings would reduce the need for the National Grid to move electricity around (thus wasting yet more electricity) as the power would be supplied where it was needed and any excess could be sold to the Grid. Solar panels for heating water are completely stand-alone units and only require a tiny amount of power to run the censors and pump so put negligible pressure on electricity supply. DC must now do more than provide staff with electric vehicles and change a few light bulbs. Having declared a Climate Emergency, they must lead the way not only in promoting innovative ways of generating electricity but also reducing the amount used altogether – quite a challenge when they have repeatedly reduced the rural bus grants and are encouraging more electric vehicles. This is not impossible but does require the political will that we are not seeing from Central Government. From this day forward there is absolutely no excuse for allowing development without solar panels as a minimum. Covering our good quality agricultural land may help farmers in the short term (40 years is now called temporary planning permission for solar arrays it seems) but will see us rely more and more on imported food which may or may not be produced to the high standards we are proud of in Dorset. Why, oh why are people still buying new houses with such poor standards of sustainability? Lynne Fish n RE: Bird feeding Having just read your story I feel that I must write to you and inform you that we feed ‘our’ wild birds from a four arm feeder in the centre of the lawn. We have attracted many species of birds, from rooks, jackdaws, pigeons, starlings, blackbirds, chaffinches, sparrows, several species of tits, right down to wrens We have also attracted two hedgehogs and up to five badgers, discovered one night as we were disturbed by a rattle from the feeders. The badger was standing on tiptoe to reach up and hang on to the feeder trays, an interesting sight. We now feed the badgers and hedgehogs from trays on the ground. Do you, the council or your readers want us to stop feeding the birds? This would mean less wildlife and result in a less interesting garden. Name and address supplied

n Oh dear. New Blackmore Vale (May 28) contains that very “Now” image of folks holding placards. It seems a poll is being promoted to give people a say on choice between two local government reorganisation proposals. Have these pictured Leaders ever been acquainted with the legendary relationship between the horse and stable door? The UK Government offered full consultation opportunities to everyone between 22nd February and 19th April 2021, now closed awaiting the evaluation phase. Quite how the Secretary of State will react to being advised by them of their attempt at duplication can only be imagined. I do hope that council funds are not being depleted in order to pay for the whole extensive exercise. The UK Government Consultation details can be found by web searching “Somerset Unitarisation Ministry of Housing” Alan Webber