Che Guebee Apiary: Urban Bee-keeping meeting at Mykorrhiza Malmö

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Urban Bee-keeping meeting at Mykorrhiza Malmö

I was so glad when Viktor, a Mykorrhiza member, called me on the phone to invite me to their urban bee-keeping meeting in Malmö a few days ago. They are considering to keep bees in Kenya Top Bar Hives and would like to invite beeks who kept bees in them.
I must say that I have only kept bees in top bar hives last year but even that counts for something in a country where top bar beekeeping is just starting to spread slowly.

I am so happy to have met these lovely people :) As I said on the meeting; the world needs such people, who care for the planet and life on it.

Of course I offered all the help I can give and will be part of the Mykorrhiza Bee Group. I will try to plan a Top Bar Hive course for Mykorrhiza members in my bee yard in the summer. Top Bar Hive maintenance and manipulation is different from the conventional vertical hives and its natural that not many feel confident in manipulating a top bar hive without an introduction course. Lets see what time will bring :)

Urban Bee-keeping Mykorrhiza meeting with a Top Bar Nuc Hive one the floor, which I brought for educational reasons.

This giant hive was build by Viktor who was also the host tonight (lots of tea and cookies yam yam). We can call this hive "Dead Man's Chest Top Bar Hive" or "Canoe Top Bar Hive" ;) just joking. Im sure he can keep at least two bee families in there and park a Mini Morris behind the follower board if needed ;D just joking! I love this hive!

2 comments:

Patrick SellmanFebruary 21, 2013 at 1:21 AM
I´m also building very long top bar hives. I want it to be able to be one big colony with one swarm on each side and maybe as you say to keep two colonis. Thats because I want to expand my apiary.

The only cons I can see is that the rooftop gets heavier and if you want to move your hive during the season. Else there are just pros. You get much more for a little more.
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What is Natural Beekeeping?

"Natural Beekeeping" is a concept, an idea which springs from a human mind and as such will differ from one person to another, from one culture to another, depending on our limited and conditioned perception about what it IS being a Honeybee. Since natural beekeeping is an idea and not the actuality it is not to be taken rigidly. Instead it is to be directly inspired by the Actuality. But let's avoid going too philosophical about it and let me simply describe how I see "natural beekeeping" benefiting honeybees (these are only guidelines not a dogma);

- free wax comb construction resulting in clean wax and various cell size

- bees overwinter on their own honey stores (feeding sugar syrup ONLY if absolutely necessary)

- lots of peace (low interference from the beekeepers part)

- treatment free (The only way to have a sustainable system of beekeeping is to stop treating, instead making splits from survivor colonies seems the most natural way to me)

- bees are allowed to raise as many Drones as needed (no drone culling)

- natural Queen selection resulting in the strongest Queen (no queen cell culling and only working with local Queens or my own)

- pesticide free bee zone and supporting organic farming (this is a global issue and must be dealt with locally first through environmental organisations and by buying and growing organic food/clothing, etc ...)

- expanding my apiary every year by making splits using Queen Cells from my own strong survivor colonies or catching local swarms. This is the best way to counteract winter losses.

- planting for the bees flowering trees, bushes and plants covering all seasons. Biodiversity is the best healer for the bees and all other creatures.

Natural Beekeeping

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Urban Bee-keeping meeting at Mykorrhiza Malmö

2 comments:

Catching my very first Prime Swarm