Natural beekeeping is essentially the husbandry which enables bee colonies to live close to the way they would in nature rather than to manipulate them to live in ways that suit us.
Our primary interest is in assisting the Bee to
survive and thrive as a wild creature rather than manipulating and controlling
its behaviour to produce maximum honey.
The general principles of our Bee-centric or
near-natural beekeeping are:
·
Provide a well insulated
hive made of natural chemical-free materials, which retain warmth and humidity at levels managed by the bees.
· Work with local native or near-native bees, which have survived Natural Selection and adapted to local weather and forage. These Bees have adapted or have good potential to adapt to pathogens and pests.
· Maintain a low density of colonies appropriate to local forage conditions with hives dispersed to reduce the risk of spreading any pests or disease.
· Treat the bee colony as a single, complete organism. The super organism is not a box of parts to be swapped between different hives...
· Enable the colony to retain the pheromones and warmth in the nest environment; to optimize nest conditions and produce strong off spring..
· Minimize intrusion into the hive; this is disruptive, damaging and stressful.
· Maintain strong colonies. Cull weak or failing colonies to remove poor genetics as well as reduce risks of robbing and spread of disease. Do not prop up weak colonies which cannot defend or feed themselves.
We seek to educate beekeepers about the needs of
the Bee. The study of wild bee colonies, regular observation at the hive
entrance, as well as talking to experienced beekeepers, will enable one to
learn and understand different behaviour and recognize the health and
development of the colony.
Bee-centric husbandry is practised in a range of hives including skeps, top-bar hives, framed hives and tree trunks. .Management interventions are informed by the behaviour of the bees not performed as a routine activity.
· Work with local native or near-native bees, which have survived Natural Selection and adapted to local weather and forage. These Bees have adapted or have good potential to adapt to pathogens and pests.
· Treat the bee colony as a single, complete organism. The super organism is not a box of parts to be swapped between different hives...
·
Allow bees to make
their own comb using their own unpolluted wax with cell sizes of their own choosing
and to raise as many drones as they wish.
· Enable the colony to retain the pheromones and warmth in the nest environment; to optimize nest conditions and produce strong off spring..
· Minimize intrusion into the hive; this is disruptive, damaging and stressful.
·
Allow bees to replace
their own queens by supersedure or swarming and reproduce at their own impulse.
·
Leave sufficient
honey for colonies to sustain themselves through winter and periods of
dearth. Do not feed sugar
which impairs the immune system and lacks the nourishment for the development of brood and young bees.
·
Avoid pesticide treatments and medications. Chemicals, damage bees, kill beneficial microorganisms and disrupt the
chemical balance in the nest. Their use
breeds more virulent pathogens and delays the development of adaptation and
resistance to pathogens and pests.
· Maintain strong colonies. Cull weak or failing colonies to remove poor genetics as well as reduce risks of robbing and spread of disease. Do not prop up weak colonies which cannot defend or feed themselves.
Bee-centric husbandry is practised in a range of hives including skeps, top-bar hives, framed hives and tree trunks. .Management interventions are informed by the behaviour of the bees not performed as a routine activity.
John Haverson January 2023