Natural Methods for Keeping Honey Bees

Sources Gunther Hauk - “Toward Saving the Honeybee” (featured in “The Queen of the Sun”) Gunther Hauk - “Toward Saving the Honeybee” (featured in “The Queen of the Sun”) Abbé Emil Warré – “Beekeeping for All” Abbé Emil Warré – “Beekeeping for All” Ormond & Harry Aebi – “Mastering the Art of Beekeeping, Vols. 1-2” Ormond & Harry Aebi – “Mastering the Art of Beekeeping, Vols. 1-2” Maurice Maeterlinck – “The Life of the Bee” Maurice Maeterlinck – “The Life of the Bee” H. Storch – “At the Hive Entrance” H. Storch – “At the Hive Entrance” Jurgen Tautz – “The Buzz about Bees” Jurgen Tautz – “The Buzz about Bees”

Continuum  X   X  Commercial All Natural It’s not black and white, we all choose the combination of methods that makes sense to us. It’s not black and white, we all choose the combination of methods that makes sense to us.

History of Beekeeping through Art

Human-Bee Relationship Honey Hunting– 7,000 b.c., honey invaluable, bee becomes sacred. Honey Hunting– 7,000 b.c., honey invaluable, bee becomes sacred. Ancient Egypt – 19 th Century - Beekeeping by Priests. Through the middle ages - rudimentary bee management, skeps of basketry, pottery, dung. Ancient Egypt – 19 th Century - Beekeeping by Priests. Through the middle ages - rudimentary bee management, skeps of basketry, pottery, dung.

Itinerant Bees – a very old practice To Zeno, Greeting from the beekeepers of the Arsinoite nome. You wrote about the donkeys, that they were to come to Philadelphia and work ten days. But it is now eighteen days that they have been working and the hives have been kept in the fields, and it is time to bring them home and we have no donkeys to carry them back. Now it is no small impost that we pay the king. Unless the donkeys are sent at once, the result will be that the hives will be ruined and the impost lost. Already the peasants are warning us, saying: "We are going to release the water and burn the brushwood, so unless you remove them you will lose them." We beg you then, if it please you, to send us our donkeys, in order that we may remove them. And after removing them we will come back with the donkeys when you need them. May you prosper! (middle 3 rd century, B.C.E., Egyptian tablet)

The Agricultural Value of the Honey Bee

Bees in their Natural State

Some Ideas on Natural Beekeeping 1) a tree-like hollow space 1) a tree-like hollow space 2) some height off the ground 2) some height off the ground 3) natural comb [no foundation] 3) natural comb [no foundation] 4) queen is free to move throughout the colony [no queen excluder] 4) queen is free to move throughout the colony [no queen excluder] 5) honey is left for the bees, take only what is truly superfluous and then in the late spring 5) honey is left for the bees, take only what is truly superfluous and then in the late spring

Natural Beekeeping cont. 6) drones are allowed to develop at the will of the colony 6) drones are allowed to develop at the will of the colony 7) swarms are allowed to occur naturally, no interference or swarm prevention 7) swarms are allowed to occur naturally, no interference or swarm prevention 8) queen remains as long as the colony accepts them, [no requeening at beekeepers will] 8) queen remains as long as the colony accepts them, [no requeening at beekeepers will] 9) no synthetic chemicals used for medication or miticide/fungicides 9) no synthetic chemicals used for medication or miticide/fungicides 10) the colony is left alone whenever possible [no weekly hive checks that disperse the precious warmth and hive scent] 10) the colony is left alone whenever possible [no weekly hive checks that disperse the precious warmth and hive scent]

To Feed or not to Feed Best is to never feed your bees. Best is to never feed your bees. Better is to feed bees rarely and with your own honey Better is to feed bees rarely and with your own honey Good is to feed bees with an organic herbal sugar syrup. Good is to feed bees with an organic herbal sugar syrup. Other Ideas? Other Ideas? X  X  Corn Syrup Sugar Organic Sugar Herbal Syrup Honey No feeding

Organic Herbal Sugar Syrup Recipe Organic Chamomile tea – lightly steeped Organic Chamomile tea – lightly steeped Organic cane sugar - the lighter the better, never dark Organic cane sugar - the lighter the better, never dark 1:1 or stronger depending on season and use Add: pinch of sea salt Add: Ph balancing agent: organic pure lemon juice (~ 1 Tbsp. / quart of syrup)

Other Herbs for Syrup Almost any kitchen herb growing in the garden, especially the ones the bees are gathering from Almost any kitchen herb growing in the garden, especially the ones the bees are gathering from YarrowHorsetail YarrowHorsetail DandelionNettle DandelionNettle PeppermintThyme PeppermintThyme RueLemon Balm RueLemon Balm Hyssop Hyssop

Natural Smoker Fuels Sage Sage Meadow Grass Meadow Grass Myrrh Resin Myrrh Resin Other ideas? Other ideas?

Mite Control Essential Oils – thyme, tea tree, peppermint etc. Essential Oils – thyme, tea tree, peppermint etc. Natural Acids – Oxalic acid, Formic acid – not approved by the FDA for use on bees, but widely used and scientifically validated in Europe. (see scientificbeekeeping.com for detailed instructions) Natural Acids – Oxalic acid, Formic acid – not approved by the FDA for use on bees, but widely used and scientifically validated in Europe. (see scientificbeekeeping.com for detailed instructions) Ashing – biodynamic preparation of mite ash Ashing – biodynamic preparation of mite ash No treatment, let natural selection work No treatment, let natural selection work Other ideas? Other ideas?

Expanding Colonies Add boxes below in early spring for expansion of brood colony downward Add boxes below in early spring for expansion of brood colony downward Add supers above in later spring and summer for honey storage Add supers above in later spring and summer for honey storage Other natural management ideas? Other natural management ideas?

Internet Resources