Holistic approach to beekeeping

How to keep bees without chemicals and antibiotics. I have done this for over 30 years now and I think it is time to share some of my knowledge.

For those that like to work their apiary in a sustainable, holistic way here is what I did with my bees yesterday, April 10/11. The 5 minute movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY6JhtfPF4w will show how to manage the varroa first thing in the spring. As I work with nature I use "natural pointers" to manage bees. These pointers are very critical in order to be in harmony with nature and at the same time help the beekeeper to structure her/his management. The first "natural pointer" is the pussy willow showing us that fresh pollen is available and this triggers the queen to lay a lot more eggs (hazelnuts will be at about the same time). The next "natural pointer" is when the temperature (in the shade) reaches 15 degree C, sunny and no wind. The attached movie will show the management at that time. Hope some of you can adapt this kind of management. I will keep you posted on the next management, the natural pointer being the "dandelions flowering" but you can already read up on this at: http://goolymooly.ca/data/publishing/werner_insidebook_bees.html . Use the tab Holistic Hive Management and then select the tab that interests you. These are all pdf files. Feel free to print them out to carry to your apiary. I would appreciate if you would refer to this method as SMC (sustainable mite control) by Werner Gysi. I am on a mission to save the bees and will travel across Canada this summer, starting June 8. in Calgary till August 12., reaching as far as Ottawa, ON. I have over 50 events confirmed, some to beekeeping associations. If you like to invite me please contact me.

Thanks so much for making and sharing that video.

Feel free to post in the Great White North forum to contact people from Canada about your tour.

Werner, maybe you know.

there is a guy who brings hives around to neighboring farms in the spring, but not generally as early as our spring hit here in Michigan (we were 2 months early)..

however, there were some honeybees around even though the hives had not yet been set out.

I was wonderin, do you think that there might be wild hives nearby if we had honeybees and the hives are still not put out? How would I go about finding the wild hives (bee trees or whatever) if they are nearby? The hives are generally set out here in May.

Werner Gysi wrote:How to keep bees without chemicals and antibiotics. I have done this for over 30 years now and I think it is time to share some of my knowledge.

For those that like to work their apiary in a sustainable, holistic way here is what I did with my bees yesterday, April 10/11. The 5 minute movie http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY6JhtfPF4w will show how to manage the varroa first thing in the spring.

For those that are following up on SMC (Sustainable Mite Control, on my web page under Holistic Hive Management ( http://goolymooly.ca/data/publishing/werner_insidebook_bees.html )) Under the tab Holistic Hive Management I added the management regarding "Drone Frame Removal" and describe when and how I remove drone brood. It is not culling existing brood but removing frames introduced during the management when the dandelions flower (see other tab). I hope to be of help with all the information I shared about how I manage the varroa mite without using chemicals but just management. This is the last step in doing so and your bees should be as strong as mine have been for the past 6 years, using this approach.

Sorry, this is Sep 2020 and I returned from a 6 year around the Glove sail. Back on land now and updated my website. Some of the links posted 8 years ago below may not work any longer. I generated a new website. Please use it instead or use the Contact form if you like to ask questions about holistic management of bees or growing food. The books Harmonic Farming: Bees and Harmonic Farming: Homesteading are all still available at http://www.goolymooly.ca. Thanks.