Natural Beekeeping

[BrianO]

Just read this, http://www.naturalbeekeepingtrust.org/bee-centred-vs-conventional

Well written but unfortunately not exactly an accurate reflection on how I or most manage their hives, in my opinion.

Many aspects lacking in accuracy such as in relation to the nuisance of Swarms and more

It unfairly details how all Beekeeper's harvest to much honey, leaving starving colonies that must be fed.

How we all use aggressive treatments with " chemicals " .

How we equate Sugar syrup to Honey .

and more , would be interesting to hear other views.

Could have been a good document if had been less " Anti Beekeeper " .

 

[mbc]

I'd rather be an unnatural beekeeper than throw my lot in with folk who are holier than thou and disparaging about traditional practitioners of the craft.
Grab a green hobby and be greener than the Jones', bunch of w@#$**rs.

 

[MartinL]

I'd rather be an unnatural beekeeper than throw my lot in with folk who are holier than thou. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
bunch of w@#$**rs.

Think you'll find they get as commercial as Tesco when it comes to banging on about their business!


+ just realised, they have "Charitable status" so don't pay tax!
Must be a nice little earner for someone?

 

[Finman]

.
Not even natural beekeepers, but ordinary beekeepers too have odd habits.
The most odd habit is to reinvent 50 y old habits, what others have already abandoned.

 

[Bee Bumble]

The most odd habit is to reinvent 50 y old habits, what others have already abandoned.

 

[Anduril]

There are a lot of inaccuracies, quoting some American practices, when the say most of their information is UK based. However their need to allow swarms which are natural, can cause a great and expensive nuisance to the general public. But we are all beekeepers and should find common ground. I wonder how much a Sunhive costs to replace if it has to be burned due to AFB. Would the shelter it is suspended from have to be scorched? I class myself as a sustainable Beekeeper. The beekeeping organisations are only trying to cut down the number of swarms so the public see beekeeping as responsible. All beekeepers have a responsibility to safeguard the public, whether they are natural, conventional etc.
I wish them well, but I do not like being portrayed as a bad Beekeeper. I do not clip the queens wings.

 

[Eyeman]

It's a shame they base much of there discussion on denigrating 'conventional' beekeeping rather than promoting their cause.
Swarm control relies on being there to catch the swarm- Sounds like it's aimed at those UB40's or retirees.

 

[pargyle]

Well ...Actually I don't find that there is a great deal to hate in what they are saying ... they are making some very valid points - I don't think the BBKA taught methods of beekeeping are in tune with a lot of modern beekeekers. I think the Natural Beekeeping Trust is probably a little evangelical but I see just as much prejudice and disparaging comments coming from the opposite end of 'conventional' beekeeping.

I'm not that far away from most of what they consider to be Bee Centred = My bees are not treated, I'm foundationless. I don't clip or mark my queens and I ensure that I leave them enough honey at the end of the season to overwinter on their own stores. I can't see anything to hate in any of this - it's an alternative way of keeping bees.

I do practice swarm control to a degree - but, if you can show me a beekeeper who has never lost a swarm then they either haven't noticed or they are telling porkies.

I don't buy in queens and my bees are local mongrels but I admire those people who are trying to improve bee stocks and traits - I don't see anything wrong in this although I have neither the ability or desire to do it.

Beekeeping is a broad spectrum ... there's a place for all types of beekeeping and we should tolerate those people who tread a different path to you. I don't pass judgement on people who treat, who clip and/or mark their queens, who use foundation - I will challenge those who say that it's the only way or those who pontificate that beekeeping is all about how much honey you can take from them but outside of that it's live and let live as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Plenty of honey]

. I wonder how much a Sunhive costs to replace if it has to be burned due to AFB. Would the shelter it is suspended from have to be scorched?.

and how would a beekeeper with a sun hive ever know it had a brood disease??
Thats always been my beef! Any hive that does not allow you to inspect brood frames/nest is a complete liability to you and other beekeepers.http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=14130&stc=1&d=1489270770

 

[Anduril]

and how would a beekeeper with a sun hive ever know it had a brood disease??
Thats always been my beef! Any hive that does not allow you to inspect brood frames is a complete liability to you and other beekeepers.

There are frames in the sun hive, it can be manipulated. Curved top bars!

 

[Tom Bick]

Beekeeping is a broad spectrum ... there's a place for all types of beekeeping and we should tolerate those people who tread a different path to you. I don't pass judgement on people who treat, who clip and/or mark their queens, who use foundation - I will challenge those who say that it's the only way or those who pontificate that beekeeping is all about how much honey you can take from them but outside of that it's live and let live as far as I'm concerned.

 

[oliver90owner]

Any form of beekeeping is not 'natural' by definition, shirley? It is tantamount to farming, even if on a small scale. People using a new fuzzy word for something that appears to make them more acceptable to the larger population of don't knows. About the same as those who always call shallow boxes 'supers'.

 

[For want of a better word]

About the same as those who always call shallow boxes 'supers'

Or eggs Barn Fresh !

Myttin da

 

[domino]

Any form of beekeeping is not 'natural' by definition, shirley? It is tantamount to farming, even if on a small scale. People using a new fuzzy word for something that appears to make them more acceptable to the larger population of don't knows. About the same as those who always call shallow boxes 'supers'.

I don't care how people keep their bees, it is a hobby for me.

I know recently people were very excited by Tom Sheely's study of survivor colonies in the Anot forest. However, if you read his work he makes the same point as you. Putting bees in a bee yard is an artificial construct and in the wild bees have a very low density.

If you want to support bees naturally why put them in a box at all, why not improve the local natural environment?

 

[psafloyd]

There is a large disclaimer, BrianO, which refers to the views, practices and teaching of the BBKA.

That covers most of the complaints about bias, though the point about candidates being tested is at a rather advanced level, considering most have never completed the Basic.

It does, however, omit good reasons some may have (I don't, where I live t the moment) all the honey and provide sugar syrup in Autumn.

Do you intend to provide a response to this piece?

Just read this, http://www.naturalbeekeepingtrust.org/bee-centred-vs-conventional

Well written but unfortunately not exactly an accurate reflection on how I or most manage their hives, in my opinion.

Many aspects lacking in accuracy such as in relation to the nuisance of Swarms and more

It unfairly details how all Beekeeper's harvest to much honey, leaving starving colonies that must be fed.

How we all use aggressive treatments with " chemicals " .

How we equate Sugar syrup to Honey .

and more , would be interesting to hear other views.

Could have been a good document if had been less " Anti Beekeeper " .

 

[user 6228]

Any form of beekeeping is not 'natural' by definition, shirley? It is tantamount to farming, even if on a small scale. People using a new fuzzy word for something that appears to make them more acceptable to the larger population of don't knows. About the same as those who always call shallow boxes 'supers'.

Any beekeeping is a compromise between the beek and the bees. Some would like the compromise to be more in the bees favour than others. However it is decided it should done based on reasonably accurate info, rather than tradition or well meaning hand waving IMHO.

 

[domino]

It does, however, omit good reasons some may have (I don't, where I live t the moment) all the honey and provide sugar syrup in Autumn.

Has anyone ever met a beekeeper who takes all the honey out of a hive? I've heard is said a few times but never witnessed anyone who does this.

 

[Finman]

Has anyone ever met a beekeeper who takes all the honey out of a hive? I've heard is said a few times but never witnessed anyone who does this.

I have done that 50 years. I leave honey for winter about 5kg, what are in brood frames.

Those 500 hive owners, who press their colonies into one box for winter, they start so early harvesting that there are no winter brood yet.
The colony has no honey in lowest box , because it is full of brood under excluder and hives must get first sugar feeding at once when honey bixes have been taken away.

.
In my climate those colonies eate sugar from August to May. It 10 moths.

Essential is pollen in wintering. Honey and sugar have only energy, And other essential comes from pollen.

 

[madasafish]

Simple question.

Who would keep bees if there was no honey to collect?

 

[Beefriendly]

I think it's called "natural beekeeping"