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Beekeeping
Man has collected honey for over 15,000 years. Originally
gathering from colonies found in the wild, beekeeping started
roughly 5000 years ago.
Modern beekeeping practices put the emphasis
on honey production
This, coupled with toxic industrial agriculture, has resulted
in stressed bees that are vulnerable to diseases and parasites.
Many beekeepers follow commercial practices, leading to the
widespread acceptance of beekeeping methods that are far
from ‘bee-friendly’.
The Natural Beekeeping Alliance is heading a movement that
encourages beekeepers to take a more holistic approach: giving
more consideration to the needs of the bees and less to the
production of honey for human consumption.
Established principles of natural beekeeping include keeping
interference to a minimum – avoiding opening hives too often, not
clipping the queens wings to prevent swarming, avoiding the use of
synthetic chemicals and medications, and adapting a ‘supervisory’
rather than a ‘managerial’ attitude to honeybee colonies.
And while honeybees are the main focus for natural beekeepers,
the needs of wild bees – including bumblebees and the many
species of solitary bee – are also taken into account.
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