Objectives, Terms & Conditions for the Honeybee Support Program (HSP)
Objectives
Honeybees, as well as other pollinatators are in decline in Great Britain. They face threats on several fronts; loss of habitat, poor nutrition, modern farming practises, climate change and agro-chemicals. The Bee Farmer wishes to arrest this decline by actively managing many Honeybee colonies and spreading the word on how we can contribute to make the world a better place for bees and their pollinator cousins.
Funding of The Honeybee Support Program
The Bee Farmers work is funded by sales of honey and wax products together other services such as; hosting colonies, tailored training, experience visits with the bees, talks, consultation, sales of hives and bees. The Honeybee Support Program is a vehicle to facilitate people to engage and contribute to honeybees welfare on their terms.
The Bee Farmer knows folks have different responses to Honeybees; curious, fascinated and fearful. Some folks would like to keep bees but do not have the time. Some have taken up beekeeping but modern life is not alway condusive to the bees needs and some folks would just like to have the experience of dealing with a colony of bees. The Honeybee Support Program is designed to facilitate the needs of the supporter. A HSP plan can be designed for any budget from individuals to commercial enterprises. The finalised HSP plan forms the basis of the HSP agreement which lists the obligatations of each party. A basic 12 month HSP agreement is outlined below.
HoneyBee Support Program 1. Honeybee Experience
Q. So what happens when you book a Honeybee Experience visit.?
A.
We agree a date that is convenient for the bees and the visitor meet.
The Bee Farmer will let the visitor know the address of the apiary we are to visit. The apiaries are moved around depnding on the needs of the bees. The weather is the biggest factor. We need it warm and preferably sunny.
We get the visitor togged out in a beesuit and explain the safety procedures.
Then we approach the hive. We talk about visual cues from outside the hive.
Next we open the hive and begin our inspection. This inspection is the same as every beekeeper does in the country, just slower.
The visitor gets to remove the frames of bees from the hive and, with the Bee Farmer, explore what we find.
When the inspection is over we review what we have seen and talk about the issues that bees face and how that related to what we have just observed.
Ask as many questions as you like and take lots of pictures.
The time with the bees is usually two to three hours.
All you need to bring is some stout footware (it needs to cover your ankles) and a pair of Marigold type gloves. Oh and a sense of adventure!
HoneyBee Support Program 2. Colony adoption
Your subscription supports The Bee Farmer in looking after a honeybee colony on your behalf. Your subscription helps The Bee Farmer with:
Feeding the bees syrup in the autumn, fondant in the winter & syrup in the spring
Integrated pest management program
Hive maintenance
Transportation
Regulation
Training & Education
For your subscriptions you receive:
A gift certificate and a letter detailing the HSP agreement
A plaque on the hive(s)
A colony visits (or as many many HSP agreement designates)
A frame of honey or three pounds of honey in jars (or as many many HSP agreement designates)
Terms & Conditions
The Honeybee Support Program does not confer any right of ownership to the colony adopter.
The Honeybees and all the equipment remains the property of the Bee Farmer
The Honeybee Support Program does not confer any right to access the land the upon which the adopted colony is located
Adopters of a HSP colony may not access the land or the colony without the consent and presence of the Bee Farmer
Monies given to the Bee Farmer are donations to help the bees via The Honeybee Support Program
The Bee Farmer will endevour to fulfil the colony visit however the weather is a major factor for an enjoyable visit. The Bee Farmer cannot be held responsable for the weather preventing the colony visit to take place.
The colony visit must take place before the HSP period expires.
Monies are not refundable as they will have been spent on the upkeep of the bees.
The donation is required in advance of the period it is designed to cover.
Failure to make a scheduled donation will render the HSP agreement invalid and void immediately.
Visitors to the colonies must comply with the Bee Farmers instructions at all times. Your safety and that of the bees is paramount.
Jurisdiction of law
The business of The Bee Farmer is carried out under the jurisdiction of UK law. The Bee Farmer complies with the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 (DSRs) and Electronic Commerce Regulations (ECRs).
November 2016
