All the hoopla surrounding the difference between a bee-“keeper” and a bee-“haver” is laid to rest by the proponents of biodynamic beekeeping. According to an article in the Green Guide, the aim of biodynamic beekeeping is “to minimize stress factors and allow bees to develop in accordance with their true nature.”
Proponents of biodynamic beekeeping, such as practical-crafts teacher Keith Gelber of Chico, insist that biodynamic beekeepers neither “have” nor “keep” bees but simply provide them with “a clean place to live.” Gelber likes to think of himself as a bee “steward.”
Gelber keeps bees in accordance with the Demeter International Bee Standards. This group maintains a strict set of rules that must be followed in order for honey to bear their seal of approval. All types of standards are spelled out including how bees are raised, how honey is processed, and what containers may be used . . . interesting reading if you have a few minutes.
A few points:
- Natural combs are used, rather than foundation.
- Swarming is recognized as the natural form of colony reproduction.
- Clipping of queen’s wings is prohibited.
- Regular and systematic queen replacement is prohibited.
- Pollen substitutes are prohibited.
- Beehives must be made of all natural materials, such as wood, straw, or clay.
- Artificial insemination is not used. Instead queens are allowed to fly free to mate.
- Grafting of larvae to produce queens is prohibited.
- No pesticides or antibiotics are allowed, although the use of natural organic acids such as formic and oxalic acid may be used for mite control.
- Honey may be transported in containers made of artificial materials but must be decanted into containers of glass or metal for retail sale.
Gelber takes surplus honey from the hive only in the spring after the bees use what they need—an idea that makes a lot of sense but requires a world of self-discipline. And since I am not fond of storing food in plastic, I found the bit about honey containers fascinating.
An eight-page .pdf of the “Demeter International Standards for Beekeeping and Hive Products” can be downloaded from the biodynamic.org.uk website. Even though I don’t agree with everything they advocate, the document is succinct and casts a different hue on the subject of natural beekeeping.
Rusty
If they only collect honey in the spring, don’t they have to heat it, since it is crystallized? Doesn’t heating honey kill all the good Karma and vital life force needed to connect with the cosmos and the universal mind, as one spiritual being for the greater good of all creatures, large and small, in the universe?
Oommm
Doug,
You bring up an excellent point. Not all honey crystallizes, however, so it would depend on your particular honey. None of my honey has ever crystallized, at least so far. Some of it is five or six years old. But some honey crystallizes almost immediately so, yes, that would be a consideration. How fast honey crystallizes depends on the ratio of fructose to glucose in the nectar. Higher glucose levels mean faster crystallization. It all depends on what flowers the bees collected from.
Everyone is welcome to keep bees in the way they deem best. That doesn’t make a method morally superior. For the record, using oxalic acid as a miticide is currently illegal in the US. The really hardcore beekeeping group centered in Arizona prohibits the use of any miticides whatsover–truth is in the eye of the believer…
Bill
Bill,
You are correct that oxalic acid is illegal as an acaricide in the United States, however it is legal in many other countries.
What propensity does white clover, golden rod and fireweed have towards crystalization? These are the most common nectar sources for mid to late season.
Thanks
Jeff,
This is what I’ve heard or read–I have no firsthand knowledge:
Goldenrod: extremely quick to crystallize
White clover: fairly quick to crystallize
Fireweed: slow to crystallize, but it will eventually
Here in Ohio, opinion is mixed whether it’s the goldenrod or the asters which bloom concurrently which cause fast crystallization. Whatever does it, a bucket of these honeys will sometimes set up in less than 3 days! The taste is extraordinary for folks who enjoy a rich fall honey. (Makes a good mead, too.)
Bill
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Goldenrod is in the Aster family (Asteraceae) so it could be either or both.
Thanks, folks.
Love this article BUT with all those great restrictions acid is allowed in the hive for mite control? are you kidding me! This is a crime and how dare anyone use acid in a hive. Let the bees be bees. Let the mites be mites and let nature take its course. Survival of the fittest should always be the m.o. This is wildlife. Nature. Stop trying to control it!
Elisha,
I, too, was surprised to learn that biodynamic beekeepers allow the use of organic acids as acaricides in the hive, and I can certainly understand your objection.
Even so, I believe you are over-reacting to the word “acid”—a term with many negative connotations. Probably the most acid substance in a hive is honey. On average, the pH of honey hovers around 3.5—surprisingly strong.
You can think of an acid as a proton donor and a base as a proton acceptor. This is highly simplified, but it helps to visualize the world around you. Most solutions are either acidic or basic—some a lot, some a little. It’s the way the world works. Acid is not a dirty word.
Formic acid, one of the substances mentioned for use as an acaricide, is a natural component of honey. In fact, that is why it can be used on the hive while honey supers are in place. Formic acid is even allowed as a food additive by the USDA.
You personally carry around a really, really powerful acid with you every day—in your stomach. I don’t know the concentration or pH of the preparations the article mentioned, but they probably are not any more acid than the honey and not anywhere near the acidity of your stomach.
I personally do not advocate that someone use organic acid preparations if they don’t want to. It’s a personal thing. But I do not see their use as cruel or immoral. As for cruel, I can’t think of anything worse than having your blood slowly sucked away by a bunch of parasitic mites.
I agree with Rusty. While I do not plan to use anything like this on my colonies, formic acid is pretty benign compared to what the bees are being exposed to. Formic acid is volatile so it evaporates fairly quickly. If a person is that concerned, take the capped frames out and store for a couple of days in a place where the bees cannot get them and the formic acid will drop back to natural levels. Once out of the hive there is little to no formic acid in the vapor space so it should evaporate readily at room temperature.