Options for New Generation Beekeeping

After much research the best option became obvious to me Several phrases have stuck with me after reading a massive amount about modern, old fashioned and wacky methods of beekeeping, some are quoted in the box on the left. The modern hive with wooden frames and foundation is very new, 150 years or so, bees have made honey for millennia and man has harvested it for centuries so something must be out of kilter. Top bar hives (TBH’s) were used before frames and still are in some parts of the world and several beekeepers in the USA & Europe are using them and posting their findings on the internet which lead me to believe that trying some of these Warré hives along side my Nationals is a sensible way to achieve a sustainable option for my bees. I firmly believe that the way forward for both bees and beekeepers is by following some Bee Friendly Organic Principles. This method usually involves minimal intrusion in the hive and therefore minimum disruption of the lifecycle and foraging capabilities of the colony and hopefuly some spare honey for the beekeeper. From late 2008 I shall have been building my new hives as top bar ones. So either watch this space to see how we, the bees and I, get along or click the Invitation button and take part yourself.

Some quotations that I came accross while researching problems with honey bees in a modern world. “Bees have been on this planet longer than we have - perhaps they know best!!” “The beekeeper is perhaps the source of many of the problems currently being experienced by honey bees” It seems to me that long term sustainability is not a high priority with many beekeepers and much of the current training for new beekeepers will only perpetuate the current problems.