This post is a continuation in a series on the “Central Commandments to Natural Beekeeping.” You can read all eight commandments in the post titled Sustainable Beekeeping, and you can read more about the first six commandments in Swarm Traps and Horizontal Hives, Let The Bees Eat Honey, and Bees Know What To Do.
Number 7…Don’t Treat Bees for Anything.
If a hive is too weak to take care of their problems, you don’t want them. This one is difficult to do when you want you want to do everything within your power to save those bees. The thing is…to build naturally, strong colonies that cast naturally, strong swarms every spring…we have to get out of the way and let the weak ones die. They will become weaker and weaker if we continue to treat the colonies for anything and everything; and they will not naturally adapt and overcome. Bees have been being bees much longer than we have been keeping them. Bees know how to do bees better than I can! We just have to get out of the way and let the Bees be Bees!!!
Number 8…”A natural beekeeper is simply obligated, in working with his bees and eating their honey, to gradually improve his own health, and with his overall appearance inspire those around him to set up a colony or two.”
Once you have success keeping bees with a smile and enjoying the mutually beneficial relationship with your bees…you can’t help telling others. So many people start out just like I did…do all the things that everyone tells you to do, and believe that after doing your best your bees will flourish. Then they all die! Most beekeepers quit in the first year or two because they are so disappointed. But what if there is a different way? What if beekeeping can be simple and low maintenance? I and my apiary are living proof that simple and low maintenance works…and I have seen it elsewhere! I have seen colonies left in fields for years with boxes disintegrating below them, being exposed to the elements, AND thriving without human intervention!!! Here at Bee Kept, we believe that there is a different way to to keep bees. Learn natural and sustainable beekeeping and share it with others!!! Anyone and everyone can… Bee Kept!!!