Mono culture is disastrous for the earth, plants, animals, birds, insects, humans – all.
We are almost at tipping point, but balance can be re addressed.
More and more, diversity and permaculture is being embraced. People are fighting back against the big corporations, and it is heartening.
I adore bees so much! They have such intricate, complex societies.
Breaks my heart to hear of their decline in the Northern Hemisphere.
I applaud Polly above, for her love and consideration of her precious bees ~ they really are a joy and we need to protect them.
Excellant point about bees and greed Collette. Four years ago, I decided to let my bees go wild. I removed the queen excluders from my two hives, allowing the queen access to all parts of the hive, and they have an open mesh floor, ensuring adequate ventilation. Queen excluders are hateful things as the worker bees damage their bodies crawling through them, which shortens their lives. I informed the authorities that I no longer had them, doing away with forced inspections, and I believe contamination from other hives. They keep all of their own honey and never have the roofs of their home removed. The only way I intervene is to keep a lookout for Woodpeckers in the winter as they will peck holes in the hives to get at the honey comb. I then wrap a small tarpaulin around the hive. The woodpeckers still have a go at it, but give up before long. You hear beekeepers say that the bees don’t need all the honey they produce. I read recently that bees plan for two winters, as the next summer may be a bad wet one where they can’t forage as much as they’d like.
I had no idea how these bees would fare, but glad to say both hives have strong colonies. I wondered if they would swarm out but not so, maybe they don’t leave a hive where they are happy. I do worry where the swarms end up and hope to put some type of hives in the trees. They naturally want to be about fifteen feet up a tree. I do believe that a bee living naturally with a good strong immune system can fight off many of the afflictions that mankind has forced upon them.
I would love to encourage others to keep bees for their own sake. After the initial set up, there really isn’t much to do except watch them, which really is a joy.
What a fabulous story of your bees…I hope many get to read this! Bless you for your care and consideration for the Bees. For my part they have a message to give us all: “We are part of your sacred ecology, let us be!” I, like you, do. We are both aware that is the right thing to do. Bees work for me all through the growing season…bless them and may their honey feed them well! Bless you for sharing your story! XXX
Good evening Colette,
Thankyou, my seeds arrived today. Blessings, Jacki
Thanks for letting me know…that’s good to hear! Blessings X
Mono culture is disastrous for the earth, plants, animals, birds, insects, humans – all.
We are almost at tipping point, but balance can be re addressed.
More and more, diversity and permaculture is being embraced. People are fighting back against the big corporations, and it is heartening.
I adore bees so much! They have such intricate, complex societies.
Breaks my heart to hear of their decline in the Northern Hemisphere.
I applaud Polly above, for her love and consideration of her precious bees ~ they really are a joy and we need to protect them.
I am in awe of Polly…takes a brave woman to make that paradigm shift from Bee Keeper to Bee Freer.
Excellant point about bees and greed Collette. Four years ago, I decided to let my bees go wild. I removed the queen excluders from my two hives, allowing the queen access to all parts of the hive, and they have an open mesh floor, ensuring adequate ventilation. Queen excluders are hateful things as the worker bees damage their bodies crawling through them, which shortens their lives. I informed the authorities that I no longer had them, doing away with forced inspections, and I believe contamination from other hives. They keep all of their own honey and never have the roofs of their home removed. The only way I intervene is to keep a lookout for Woodpeckers in the winter as they will peck holes in the hives to get at the honey comb. I then wrap a small tarpaulin around the hive. The woodpeckers still have a go at it, but give up before long. You hear beekeepers say that the bees don’t need all the honey they produce. I read recently that bees plan for two winters, as the next summer may be a bad wet one where they can’t forage as much as they’d like.
I had no idea how these bees would fare, but glad to say both hives have strong colonies. I wondered if they would swarm out but not so, maybe they don’t leave a hive where they are happy. I do worry where the swarms end up and hope to put some type of hives in the trees. They naturally want to be about fifteen feet up a tree. I do believe that a bee living naturally with a good strong immune system can fight off many of the afflictions that mankind has forced upon them.
I would love to encourage others to keep bees for their own sake. After the initial set up, there really isn’t much to do except watch them, which really is a joy.
What a fabulous story of your bees…I hope many get to read this! Bless you for your care and consideration for the Bees. For my part they have a message to give us all: “We are part of your sacred ecology, let us be!” I, like you, do. We are both aware that is the right thing to do. Bees work for me all through the growing season…bless them and may their honey feed them well! Bless you for sharing your story! XXX