Beekeeping the natural way

ADOPT A BEE HIVE

In 2008, about 30% of bee swarms died in the United States, while in Canada a similar number disappeared. In 2009, between 20% to 25% died in France. In Jordan and the Lebanon it was 20%, in Syria and Iraq from 20% to 80%. One third of the world's food and three-quarters of fruit trees depend on pollination, and without bees there is little or no pollination, which will lead to the disappearance of plant species and, consequently, the extinction of various animals.

As part of our overall sustain-ability project we aim to establish a teaching apiary using a variety of hive designs around natural bio-dynamic principles. We run a series of workshops throughout the year teaching and demonstrating our natural beekeeping approach and hope to extend our school visit programme in the future. The project has generated far more interest than expected which demonstrates the special interest people have in bees and the environment. 

Over the coming three years we plan to develop the apiary so that it has a variety of different hive designs - standard langstroth, long top-bar, circular clay hives, traditional cork hives and Warre similar to those used in biodynamic systems in France. The aim is to be able to demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of different systems whilst at the same time promote a natural beekeeping approach on whatever type of hive you may choose to use. The idea is to make the bees more comfortable, giving them a nest that more naturally copies nature and encouraging them to make their own honey comb rather than wax cone foundation commonly used in mainstream beekeeping. Only our langstroth hives are set up with wax-foundation to enable use to demonstrate the differences between foundation and natural wax cone and to be able to show how the bees adapt the cone structure for worker, drone and heater bees.

Our training programme runs in two stages (one more theoretical, devoted to how the swarm functions and the role of man in managing the hive, and another more practical stage where potential beekeepers work with the bees). Honey bees need our help. Populations are dying and unless we boost bee numbers, this vital link in the food chain is at risk. One of the simplest ways to support our flying friends is to buy a share in a hive. A certificate of ownership and a pack of wild flower seeds welcome share holders, who also have online access to their hive and Garri, receive regular updates on the colony and 1kilo of honey after the harvest. Sponsorship costs €35 (£30) for which you can visit the Fonte de Baixo apiary to view the open hive and see the queen and her bees at work. You will also be able to receive a 25% discount on the Natural Beekeeping workshop should you want to learn more about the bees and beekeeping. To learn more about our sponsor a hive programme, email us at info@ahimsa-portugal.com