Latest years have seen a rising curiosity in pure beekeeping vs typical strategies of maintaining honey bees. This isn’t actually a brand new development however it gained momentum after the inflow of chemical therapies for varroa mites within the 1980’s. Pure beekeeping is rooted within the precept of sustainability and dwelling in concord with nature. Right here, I share a number of the key rules of maintaining bees naturally and what to think about if this method appeals to you.

In full disclosure, let me say that I don’t contemplate myself a pure beekeeper. I carry out extra hive administration practices than people that absolutely embrace the motion. Nonetheless, I do adhere to pure practices are intently as doable – particularly in reference to chemical therapies.

Ideas of Pure Beekeeping

Pure beekeeping is outlined by a number of core rules supposed to type a holistic relationship between bees and beekeeper.

In the apiary, minimal intervention is the rule. With respect for the pure instincts and behaviors of honey bees, in most conditions – bees are allowed to repair any issues that come up. There’s little or no manipulation of frames, hive brood bins and many others.

It’s believed that being extra “arms off” permits the colony to stay in a state of affairs that’s more healthy, much less aggravating and contributes to colony vitality.

One other essential issue, pure beekeepers try to keep away from using artificial chemical substances or antibiotics. This prevents absorption and contamination of the hive infrastructure – sustaining the purity of the honey and beeswax.

In the event you don’t put artificial chemical substances within the hive, they don’t get absorbed by the beeswax. I can say that I adhere to those pure beekeeping concepts in my apiary. Opting to make use of softer therapies for mite control-instead of accepted artificial merchandise.

Pure vs Standard Beekeeping Strategies

One of many major variations between pure beekeeping and traditional beekeeping is the extent of intervention and manipulation of the colonies.

Usually, beekeepers attempt to assist colonies by robust occasions and be proactive by fixing issues. Whereas pure beekeeping is a extra hands-off method – leaving bees to perform a lot as they’d within the wild.

Common Hive Administration entails:

• frequent hive inspections
• chemical therapies for illness and pest management
• feeding sugar water to spice up colonies

Pure Strategies:  

• hive inspections are minimal
• little to no swarm management
• let bees elevate their very own queens as a substitute of requeening the hive
• no artificial chemical therapies for pests
• no antibiotics to forestall or deal with illness
• easy honey harvest– crush and pressure

Practices and Methods

The general objective of the pure beekeeper is to permit the colony to stay in a bee-friendly manner. The main target is on the targets of the honey bees fairly than the targets of the human beekeeper.

There are numerous completely different practices and methods used to attain this objective. The beekeeper could select completely different kinds of beehives.

Some really feel that both a bee skep hive, Warre hive or a high bar hive are higher suited to the habits of untamed bees. They really feel the method is extra pure than Langstroth’s hive with particular dimensions.

Permitting bees to attract out pure comb is a typical follow. Foundationless beekeeping doesn’t make use of beeswax or plastic basis. The bees are allowed to construct comb to the dimensions and specification they select.

For a pure beekeeper, swarming could also be allowed freely. Bee swarms give the colony an opportunity to fulfill it’s instinctive want to breed on the colony stage.

An built-in pest-management method that makes use of bodily and organic strategies to manage honey bee pests is step one– fairly than typical chemical substances.

Advantages of Protecting Bees Naturally

There isn’t any doubt that something that’s good for our honey bees is an effective factor. Colonies allowed to “do their very own bee factor” could expertise much less stress. There isn’t any big in a white hood eradicating the highest of their house so usually.

Any honey or beeswax faraway from a naturally managed hive retains its purity extra so than a hive handled with chemical substances. Natural beekeepers can command a premium value for honey and wax.

Challenges in Pure Beekeeping

Whereas pure beekeeping presents quite a few benefits for the surroundings, the bees and the beekeeper – it’s not with out its challenges.

One main problem is managing varroa mite infestations. Fortunately, a number of the softer varroa mite therapies are natural – but they’re nonetheless chemical intervention. That is a person beekeeper choice.

With the objective of selective breeding for bees which might be naturally immune to mites, the fact falls quick in lots of instances.

Making an attempt to follow pure beekeeping strategies with bees which might be massed produced and never bred for resistance normally has a tragic ending.

If the beekeeper is decided to not feed their bees, forage availability on account of climate situations has a stronger impact on hive standing. Fairly than feeding bees to keep up colony power throughout a nectar dearth – the beekeeper could let the bees starve or scale back their very own inhabitants to manage.

To start with, I had aspirations of practising pure beekeeping. However, the fact is that it doesn’t work for me – with the bees that I’m able to get. Although – I’ve been capable of keep away from utilizing antibiotics and the harsher mite therapies.

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