RedGage

By Ron Rullman

These days, everyone seems to be preoccupied with going green, eating right, and growing, buying and eating organic products, and this includes organic honey. If you have noticed, there aren’t that many organic honey producers, and that is not necessarily because beekeepers don’t use natural beekeeping methods, but because the organic regulations are extremely strict.

Let's take a closer look at Organic Beekeeping and what makes such a product truly organic...

-The Definition of Organic Beekeeping-

When you implement organic beekeeping, it means you use methods, and treatments that are natural, and that you avoid any type of pesticide or harmful materials. The organic beekeeper uses nutritional supplements and specialized practices which create strong honeybee colonies. Yet, everything he uses can be safely handled or even eaten by the self same beekeeper. And organic beekeeper has to follow FDA rules for organic farming, and this involved preventing disease, and treating diseases without pesticides, or chemicals.

-Hive Insulation-

An important part of the organic beekeepers job is keeping the bees healthy without having to use any type of chemical, and an important part of doing this is protecting the honeybee colonies in cold seasons. This is probably the most important way of preventing disease within the bee hive. Bee hives that are not protected in winter have a higher chance of getting tracheal mite or nosema, so when you help protect them, you can more easily produce organic honey. Honeybee colonies create their own warmth, and when they are helped then they won’t starve or become too chilled during winter.

There are lots of ways to insulate for winter, but probably the most cost effective method is by using Styrofoam panels and tarp. Another less expensive method is, using bubble pack that is backed by foil. Just be sure that the hive entrance isn’t obstructed.

-Healthy Feeding Solutions for Longer Bee Life Span-

Bees that are not maintained organically have a shorter lifespan, and that is because commercial beekeeping has exposed the bees to toxic substances. These toxins, plus the toxins in our environment, like that of the air, soil, plants, and water stresses the honeybee’s immune system.

You need to pay attention to local surrounding water supplies, and crops that may have severe chemicals used in them. Most organic beekeepers are required to be away from population, traffic, large commercial crops. This is just one of the reasons organic beekeeping is so difficult.

An organic beekeepers job is to improve the immune system of his hive. This process required a great deal of care and dedication. As an organic beekeeper you may not see the fruits of your effort in this regard until the second generation of bees. But once you have healthier and stronger bees, they will produce more for you. You just have to be patient and stay the course, the results will come if you give it time.

There are many beekeepers that care for their bees naturally but few can be classified as organic because of the stringent rules of the FDA.