Many experienced and knowledgeable beekeepers will scoff at the concept of natural beekeeping and say that they “have always practised natural beekeeping”. This may well be true. It is certainly possible to practise bee-welfare focussed beekeeping using conventional equipment. However, there are major differences between bee-focussed and intensive output-focussed beekeeping, and in the months ahead I will draw out these differences. If you are thinking of beginning beekeeping next spring, then these articles will help you to understand the options available to you, and which route you might choose.
BACKGROUND
Research on honey bees over the last 70 years has revealed to us the wonderfully sophisticated behaviour that enables a honey bee colony to survive and to adapt to changing circumstances. We are learning how the colony runs itself and ensures essential raising of young and housekeeping activities, manages supply and demand for nutrients and their good storage, regulates its nest temperature and humidity, endeavours to cope with toxins, pests and predators, and deals with other external threats to its existence.
We now know that bees achieve this by communicating in a variety of ways — including with scents (pheromones), vibrations and other special behaviours and ‘dances’.
We appreciate more about the sophisticated architecture of the beeswax comb within a honey bee colony, and the type of space that bees choose to occupy in nature. We know that when seeking a new home for a swarm, the honey bee colony, like any house hunter, considers the vacant options available and reaches consensus on which to choose.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2020 من Country Smallholding.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 2020 من Country Smallholding.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
The Secret World Of The Honey Bee
Who knew that honey bees are the best builders? Nicola Bradbear from Bees for Development reveals how they build their parallel wax combs with extraordinary accuracy
Tip the light fantastic
The latest offering from Ifor Williams Trailers is the Single Axle Tipper, which is simply perfect for small-scale farmers
The legacy of The Good Life
The Good Life captured the public’s imagination when it first aired in 1975. On Country Smallholding’s 45th birthday, Jeremy Hobson looks at this and other programmes with a self-sufficiency slant that have captivated urban and rural dwellers alike over nearly half a century
‘The hens took shelter under the pig trailer in the paddock'
A tree Armageddon frightens poultry diarist Julian Hammer’s flock and leaves him with a mammoth clear-up job
Tools of the trade
In the second part of his mini-series on tools that are useful around the holding, Kevin Alviti takes an in-depth look at the iconic scythe, a thistle paddle and forks that were once virtually indispensable to small-scale farmers
The nightclub bouncer of the sheep world
Adam Henson waxes lyrical about the Texel, which boasts such a stocky body that it resembles a box of muscle on four legs
Buying on a tight budget
As demand for smallholdings increases and prices continue to rise, is there a way to achieve your dream without forking out a fortune? In the first part of a new mini-series, Liz Shankland explores the possibilities
Crazy for crafts
In an ordinary back garden and single paddock near Kidderminster, Kay Dalloway has created both a thriving smallholding and a successful fibre business — all while working full time for the NHS. Helen Babbs drops by to find out about her ventures
Game on
A little preparation in the autumn months will help to make the transition into winter smoother and put your garden and tools on a better footing come the spring, says Stephanie Bateman
1975 And All That
Country Smallholding is 45 this month. To celebrate, Jeremy Hobson takes a look at some of the changes — both good and bad — to small-scale farming over that near half-century
