What is ‘natural beekeeping’? The question should rather be, ‘is any beekeeping natural?’ and the answer must be that, in nature, only bees keep bees. As humans, our interest in them has been primarily selfish: we saw them as the source of a uniquely delicious, sweet substance and paid little heed to their pervasive presence in the natural world, where, […]
Restoring the Balance in Beekeeping
Honeybees cannot be domesticated in the sense that cows or pigs or sheep have been. They are essentially unchanged by man, despite many attempts to breed them to suit our needs. Their unique mating behaviour and reproductive cycle ensure that diversity and adaptability will continue to be the dominant themes in their evolution. As I see it, our main job […]