Centre for Ecological Apiculture

What does it mean sustainable Apiculture

Good for bees and beekeepers, good for mankind and earth. Easy going beekeeping in the beginning of a new solar Economy  - without cruelty to animals, without frames, supers, artificial compounds in the combs, fossil energy and nuclear power

"The noble is animal friendly" Menzius (372 - 289 B.C.)
"What is necessary above all, is, that you are able to call a spade a spade" Konfuzius (551 - 479 v. Chr.)
 

Organic beekeeping organic honey * ecological technique of api culture in top-bar-hives, raw honey quality, apitherapeutical produce like comb honey with beebread natural honey (raw honey, runhoney from naturally built combs), propolis, royal jelly, natural Apitherapy, pure beewax from naturally built combs, first lessons and classes on natural / organic / ecological top-bar-beekeeping in Germany, distance courses, certificates
 

1. Harmonical developement of the bee-colony instead of travelling with beecolonies, which is also common among organic beekeepers, and which is the reason why organic beeproduce may be contaminated with antibiotics, communication-system of beecolonies, CCD, Quarks & Co
2. Variety of flowers, no Agro-genetic engineering and other noxious pollutants, grasroot movement against agrobiotechnology in Germany, GM-crop desaster
3. Swarming impulse is basis for breeding - no artificial queenbreeding
4. No instrumental insemination or other artificial breeding methods, no wing clipping of the queenbee
5.  Raw honey - /comb honey and beeswax quality: No ultrafiltration, no treatment with heat during honeyharvest and filling, no artificial comb honey such as Cassettes made of wood or plastic ("Bee-O-Pac-System" , "Ross-Rounds", "Hogg's-Cassettes", "Romanov")
6. Beehives made of natural materials, No feeding with sugar, syrop, soymeal, milkpowder or functional food with artificially added vitamins, proteins, no "clearing up"
7. Bees in top-bar hives in the centre for ecological Apiculture drawing combs out naturally, no plastic foundation or combs, no artificial wax, no pressing-method
8. Medicine against diseases made of compounds that are natural ingredients of honey - More infos in practical and distance courses
9. Raw honey, propolis, pollen beesbread and Beeswax - Bees know all about their specialties and delicatessen
10. On the character of bees
11. How do I recognize beeproduce from apiaries of centre for ecological Apiculture? Why are more and more beekeepers needed who are successful applicants of final class and graduated in natural beekeeping (#62)?
12. The Advantage of Top-bar beekeeping according standards of centre for ecological Apiculture
 

1. Harmonical developement of the bee-colony

In beekeeping considering the character of bees the beekeeper turns one's attention to supporting a harmonical developement of the bee-colony during the year and its natural way of living. Unfortunately, this is being neglected in many apiaries - even in organic apiaries. In the USA for instance apiaries with 50.000 colonies are nothing unusual. The colonies are being loaded on trucks in units of  500 colonies and are being transported with open flightholes for days and more than 4.000 km. The way of keeping bees in Europe or especially Germany is similar; framehive-beekeeping (Langstroth, Dadant etc.) - although the opposite of ecological beekeeping - is widespread, also among organic apiaries(!); travelling with beecolonies is also very common; 30.000 km per year is nothing unusual for such an apiary - therefore "Colony Collapse Disorder" (CCD) may also occur in Europe or Germany.

Making full use of travelling with beecolonies is very common among organic beekeepers; this is a reason why also organic beeproduce can be contaminated with pesticides and antibiotics from time time. More...

We don't need any further kind of industrial beekeeping methods but beekeeping considering the character of beecolonies - in the age of  "Solar Economy". Framehive-beekeeping and artificial breeding methods come from past age of fossil energy, which is well known for its overexploitation. "Solar Economy" means learning from Goethe and Beuys; concerning the bees it means no yield increase by frame- and skyscraperhive- beekeeping, plastic combs, foundation and syrope-feeding (Api Review letters 2007, 6, Nr. 195).

An "industrial" beekeeping as it is also common among organic apiaries leads in connection with high insecticide treatments and genetically modified pollen to strange diseases of the honeybee worldwide. The communication system of the beecolony collapses. Socalled "Colony Collapse Disorder" is the result (Apicultural Review letters 2007, vol. 6, # 116-121).

Web-TV and linklist on topic Colony Collapse Disorder in most remarkable German TV Program (WDR) Quarks & Co:
Further links: http://www.wdr.de/tv/quarks/sendungsbeitraege/2008/0715/linktipps_bienen.jsp
Apimondia Conference in Organic Beekeeping

Further reading: Manual organic /ecological beekeeping
Further advising for ecological beekeeping in top-bar-hives without magazines, frames and foundation: crash-course and further practical courses, training in the Centre for organic /ecological Apiculture. Registration under: Tel. +49-5652-917899.

Sign up for Membership in  Natural Apitherapy Council (N.A.C), Beekeepers Reform Club (B.R.C.) und Honeybee Stuardship Council (H.S.C.)or support honeybees kept naturally without cruelty to animals!
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See also article in Api Review Letters 2009, Vol. 8  Nr. 325
 

2. Variety of flowers, no Agro-genetic engineering and other noxious pollutants
 

hives are situated in areas with a big variety of flowers growing naturally, outside Agro-genetic engineering areas. States, who are mass producers of genetically modified seeds like USA, Canada, China, Philippine Islands,  Brasil, Argentina, Mexico, Romania, Czech, Slovakia, Poland, South Africa, Australia, India, Uruguay, Spain, Portugal now have almost no possibility to sell organic honey and A-Grade-Certification beeproduce as well as apitherapeutic products - especially if it is an out-of-control process and genetically modified seeds like rape, soy and maize have run wild, as it happened now in nearly every famous honey-export country of the world (Romania, USA and Kanada included). This apply also to areas contaminated with other pollutants like radioactivity or noxious pesticides in fruit farming regions.

However, more and more materialism and genetically modiefied crops are being rejected worldwide. Read more...

Grassroot movement in Germany against agrobiotechnology (GM crops) http://www.zivilcourage-miesbach.de/Wichtige-Informationen.html

Further reading:
The five main GM foods are soy, corn, cotton, canola, and sugar beets. Products made of these GM foods such as sugar, high fructose sirope, lecithine are more toxic than expected. Even FDA and EFSA gave wrong testimonials over jears; they failed together with many leading politicians

Documentation of US-resistance against genetically modified (GM) foods, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and review of new scientific research on dangerous and life threatening side effects of modern Biotechnology in: Science Review Letters (2007, Vol.6, #156-159)

GM-Crop Desaster: The US government payments to farmers are up by billions of $ annually due to GM crops.  growers have only been kept afloat by the huge jump in subsidies. genetic pollution caused by today’s GMOs could theoretically outlast the effects of global warming and nuclear waste. Genetically modified sugar beets. Even small amounts of contaminants can be quite dangerous. A brand killed about 100 Americans and caused 5,000-10,000 to become sick or permanently disabled. More...

Biosafety? Unscientific assumptions the basis of approvals? - blatant propaganda exercise stands validated as exemplary science - Toxic gm foods could have been approved. More...

Severe side effects of agro-genetic engineering on honeybees and other beneficial insects. See Centre for Foodsafety and grassroot movement "civil courage" in Germany:

Risks of genetically modified crops on honeybees
http://www.zivilcourage-miesbach.de/Bienen.html
 

3. Swarming impulse is basis for breeding - no artificial queenbreeding

Did you know that most beekeepers, also from certified organic apiaries (according EU-organic rule, USDA organic program, standards of most organic associations) let their queens grow up from worker larvae ("grafting") although it is senseless from the point of view of the spirit of the beecolony, for which it is selfevident that a queen is only a good queen which has grown up from the beginning in a special round queencell with special queen fodder (gelee royale)?
 

4. No instrumental insemination or other artificial breeding methods, no wing clipping of the queenbee

Did you know that in many cases beekeepers, also from certified organic apiaries (according EU-organic rule, USDA organic program, standards of most organic associations) do not let the queens fly out to their traditional nuptial flight, but carry out artificial insemination of the queen instead? To prevent the queen flying out they clip the wings of the queen. Some beekeepers really think to be on the path of nature by fixing the queen in a special way on the instrument.
 

5. Honey-/comb honey quality: No ultrafiltration, no treatment with heat during harvest and filling

Since August 2003 ultrafiltration is allowed also in the EU. What does it mean? With the help of this technique it is legal to filter out typical honey compounds - a technique which leads to honeyfalsification very easily. According standards of Centre for Ecological Apiculture neither this technique nor heat treatment during harvest and filling is allowed.

Did you know that comb-honey is a produce to which neither mechanical (extraction, stiring procedure) nor heat treatment ("melting") has occured and which consequently is an product of especially high quality?

Thus there is an increase in popularity regarding comb honey. But always again checking turns out that in parts 90 percent of the comb honey is being criticized. For the most part it is imported honey which contains brood and foundation (sometimes made of paraffin) or is contaminated with antibiotics and beerepellents. On top of that, in many cases you find artficial comb honey, for instance Cassettes made of wood or plastic ("Bee-O-Pac-System" , "Ross-Rounds", "Hogg's-Cassettes", "Romanov") More...

Not only milk powder and glycerine (used for cough siropes or mixtures) from China is poisened, but als beeproduce like propolis, royal jelly, perga, beeswax, honey, who are sometimes being imported from third countries. More than 500 People were already killed. (see also chapter 9)

But also comb honey from Germany is concerned, if it is not produced according our standards. According EU-Rules even artificial foundation in comb honey is allowed.

Thus, where may I buy pure comb honey? More information and  sources of supply for pure comb in the comb with natural cristalization (not heated) see below or under phone: 0049 5652 917899

6. Beehives made of natural materials, No feeding with sugar, syrop, soymeal, milkpowder or functional food with artificially added vitamines, no "clearing up"

either of straw or of wood or clay.

Not allowed according standards of Centre for Ecological Apiculture are:
Hives, frames, foundations and combs made of plastic,
wired frames,
artificially created beewax foundation,
artificial wax foundation,
fibrocement hives (cement and asbestos),
polypropylene hives with ultraviolett-resistant stabilizers,
polystyrene, aluminium sheets, facing of aluminium on the interior (to prevent bees from chewing soft types of plastic),
rotating frame hives,
"skyscraperhives",
hives, which divide the colony in fragments (magazines)

No artificial feeding with sugar, syrop, soy meal, milkpowder or functional food, no "clearing up"

Did you know that most beekeepers take away the complete honey reserves of the beecolonies - also the honey from the border of the combs in the brood area? They call it the "clearing up"!

In contrast to industrial beekeeping and organic beekeeping, feeding sugarmixtures and syrope in apiaries certified by centre for ecological Apiculture, is not allowed. There is left enough honey in the beecolonies for wintertime.

sugarmixtures and syrop used by the majority of beekeepers as winterfodder for beecolonies, contain Glycosesyrupe, which is made from genetically modified raw materials. You can find it in all sweets, marzipan inclusive and even in honey.

By the way, many beekeepers - also those from organic apiaries - are feeding not only sugar syrop but also soymeal, milkpowder and functional food with artificially added vitamins, proteins, iron and so on. Residuals of sugarfeeding as well as residuals of soymeal and milkpowder can be found in beeproduce (honey, beesbread, propolis); it doesn't make any difference if they are contaminated with melamin or genetically engineered ingredients or not.

Thus beekeepers - although fighting against genetic engineering - are main supporters of genetic engineering because they use inexpensive sugarsyrop and soymeal! On top of that they weaken their colonies by using artificial fodder. More...

On top of that you can find already genetically modified sugar beets, which accidantly may have joined the human food chain. More...
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Further reading and references:
Pollmer, U. et al. 2007: Lexikon der populären Ernährungsirrtümer. Frankfurt/Main, Eichborn
Thiele, M. 2008: "junk produce" also in Bio-Supermarkets? News from the "Lemon-Markets". Science Review Letters 2008, 7, # 256
Thiele, M. 2009: What does "clearing up" mean?. Artificial feeding of honeybees with sugarsyrop, sugar, Soymeal and milkpowder, as it is common among the majority of beekeepers, does not only support Biotech-Industry. Api Review Letters 2009, 8, # 327
Centre for ecological Apiculture 2009: Classes on how to become a topbar-beekeeper of the Centre for ecological Apiculture. Natural beekeeping without frames, sugarfeeding, cruelty to animals. Api Review Letters 2009, 8, # 325
 

7. Bees in the centre for ecological Apiculture drawing combs out naturally, no plastic foundation or combs, no artificial wax like paraffin, no pressing method

Did you know that the Centre for Ecological Beekeeping is the only Institution in Germany where bees are being solely kept in top-bar-hives and allowed to draw out their combs themselves without frames, in contrast to bees from beekeepers who need to get along with plastic combs in plastic hives, artificial wax or foundation and wire or even need to live in socalled "skyscaperhives" together with up to six (!) queens per colony  - which is practiced in anti-ecological technique of socalled "Pressing-methode"? (Api review letters 2006, 5, 70)

Therefore our Standards are eligible to produce apitherapeutic products like comb-honey and comb-honey with beebread (especially for those who have an allergy to pollen), as well as 100 % beeswax from naturally built combs (there is no wax-mill who is selling beewax in that quality)

Did you know that the Centre for Ecological Beekeeping is the only Institution worldwide who offers a Traineeship for becoming a certified apiary of centre for ecological Apiculture? How does it work? You may start with practical One-day-information-course in ecological top-bar beekeeping. Registration under: Tel. 0049-5652-917899.
 

8. Medicine against diseases made of compounds that are natural ingredients of honey

Beekeepers of Centre for Ecological Apiculture normally don't need medicine against Varroa mites. How does it work? Hobbyists and sideliners should start with distance course and practical on day information courses in the Centre for Ecological Apiculture: join classes on natural / ecological beekeeping in top-bar-hives for beginners

Please notice: Common framehive beekeeping and travelling with beecolonies - as it is also common among organic beekeepers - is not suitable for obtaining that quality of beeproduce which is needed for apitherapeutical beeproduce

Commercial beekeepers may join Traineeschip in the Centre for Ecological Apiculture. It is also possible to purchase Top-bar-hives constructed according standards of Centre for ecological Apiculture - including top-bars. (Tel. +49 5652 917899).
 

9. Raw honey, propolis, pollen and Beewax- Bees know all about their specialties and delicatessen

Raw honey, propolis, pollen and beewax as it is produced by the bees - in apiaries where they are kept according the character of bees:

Delicious and apitherapeutic beeproduce as you won't find in a shop for delicatessen: pure comb honey with natural cristalization (not heated), the rare specialty combhoney with beebread, natural honey (raw honey, run-honey from naturally built combs neither extracted nor stirred nor heated before filling), German spring-time pollen, propolis, royal jelly. On top of that pure beeswax without residuals (qualified for moulding in a kindergarten or for apitherapeutic purposes)

If you are looking for a certified member apiary in your surrounding, please contact Centre for Ecological Apiculture (adress see below) or see List of beeproduce

Everybody is able to support a "longlasting fertility in beekeeping" in contrast to success in artificial beekeeping for a short time. Become a member or support honeybees kept naturally without cruelty to animals!

Did you know that even organic honey is being heated before filling? Did you know that food (meat from pork, poultry, rabbit) and even honey imported from China is sometimes so contaminated with ecologically harmful chemicals and animal medicine like Chloramphenicol (destroys bone marrow of children), that the EU needs to stop the import of animal produce, especially honey from time to time?

According to new scientific research, agriculture and environment contaminate beewax only little. The apiary itself is the source for contamination. One needs to attach the greatest importance to varroa exterminators, and waxmoth exterminator Paradichlorbenzol (PDCB). A heightened Coumaphos-concentration in wax can be even toxic to queens. Bad side effects on brood and health of bees can't be excluded also by lower wax concentrations. The accumulation of Varroazides in combwax leads to a kind of „long-term-therapy" of Varroa, which can cause resistances.

Beeswax, propolis, honey, comb honey, royal jelly being used in pharmacy, alternative medicine, cosmetics, holistic therapies, needs to be residue free. For the time being there is no uncontaminated beewax on the Europien market. Such beewax needs to be imported from Africa - Only in the centre for ecological Apiculture and its certified member apiaries uncontaminated beewax is being produced, as these apiaries work completely without foundations and the beewax is harvested from combs drawn out naturally by the bees. (Apicultural Review Letters 2006, 5, #32)
 

10. On the character of bees

Did you know that the founder of the Waldorfschool and biologic-dynamic agriculture (Rudolf Steiner/Phd) considered Apiculture to be so important that he started 1923 lectures "on the charakter of bees"?

For him it was a matter of "longlasting fertility in beekeeping" in contrast to success in artificial beekeeping for a short time. As generally in agriculture, also here apply that it is something different if one gives free play to nature and only bring it on correct tracks or if one carry something artificially in this matter.

You can find interesting comparisons in these lectures, for instance worker bees and bloodcells, drones and nerve cells, bees and wasps (bees as in ancient times breeded wasps); he tells us about the importance of insects in nature (more important than pollination is the distribution of natural formic acid); about swarming, which is a crucial need of the bees (linked to bee poison and three infinitesimal eyes on the forehead, about which science didn't find out the meaning until now - but it's not surprisingly as for the time being only 1 % of the bee's behavioral repertoire has been dicovered and documented by scientists)

He speaks about the relation between brain and formic acid (which can be found in honey and bee poison), and if there is not enough formic acid in the human body, soul and spirit were notable to be kept together.

In other words: Everybody should be very much interested in beekeeping, "because more than one thinks human life depends on beekeeping." (Apicultural Review letters 2005, 4, #1)
 

11. The Advantage of Top-bar beekeeping according standards of Centre for ecological Apiculture

Why do we need a complicated technique? Top-bar beekeeping - according standards of Centre for ecological Apiculture - is the most recommended beekeeping method.

In Apicultural Reviev Letters again and again it is reported about organic beekeeping* and if these kind of beekeepers see the point regarding beekeeping considering the character of bees. At least they are good in creating new words: they are speaking about " thehealingpath ", „Professional beekeeping competence" , „Beekeeper’s cultivation", „Beekeeping according specific species, but easy to handle", „Broodnest as a oneness ".

A socalled "organic beekeeper" tells for instance: „organic beekeeping is resting on three pillars, who stand together in an inner connection". One pillar is: „it is good practice in beekeeping to consider the Broodnest as a oneness". You may ask, how many follies need to be quartered in a head until this one may find a place? Neither non-organic nor organic beekeepers consider the broodnest to be a oneness. It’s a pity but it’s a fact. The usage of wired frames and foundation wax is generally allowed - also by Demeter and Soil Association. What does it mean? Wired pieces of wood together with artificially moulded wax foundations is given to the colony. Only Demeter tries to work with large frames which are completely nonpractical and not solely beefriendly. Demeter lays down in their standards that „Combs and brood need to grow according the developement of the colony by combs drawn out naturally, without being disturbed by frames", nevertheless the combs do not end naturally, they are enclosed in wire and frames. Even Warré hives cannot be called beefriendly. [4]

More according beekeeping considering the character of bees [1] can be called the building of natural combs for instance in a straw hive or in a Top-bar-hive (movable combs), as it can be found in apiaries certified according standards of Centre for Ecological Apiculture. [2] [3][4]
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*) In 1998 Michael Thiele from Centre for ecological Apiculture (not to confuse with Michael Thiele from California who is a mainstream organic beekeeper)  wrote about the need of organic beekeeping; it was the first step. Now organic beekeeping needs to turn to beekeeping considering the character of bees according standards, issued by centre of ecological Apiculture.
[1] Unfortunately there are many organic beekeeping associations, organisations and authors who speak about beekeeping according the needs of beecolonies, about natural and holistic beekeeping but who actually carry out mainstream organic or even artificial beekeeping methods: this apply for instance to the Organic Beekeeping Society, Mellifera e.V. with " Bee Good " and " Demeter ", as well as authors from  thehealingpath.org
[2] Centre for ecological Apiculture 2008: Why do the bees swarm? Apicultural Review Letters 2008, 7, # 239.
[3] Apicultural Review letters 2005, 4, #.2-4
[4] Thiele, M. 2009: Warré hive or Top bar hive ? Is the Warré hive really so simple, sustainable and bee-friendly as maintained by their proponents? Beekeeping according Warré or standards of Centre for ecological Apiculture? Apicultural Review Letters 8, # 386
 

12. How do I recognize beeproduce from apiaries of centre for ecological Apiculture?

International certification systems working together with Centre for ecological Apiculture. Apiaries of the Centre for ecological Apiculture are being inspected and certified according international standards for beekeeping considering the character of bees. Awards like  "Proficiency Certificate" and Certificate III (apiary certification) in beekeeping considering the character of bees will confirm that. At the end of a long list you'll find a certification of A grade beeproduce according standards of Centre for ecological Apiculture. All beekeepers of the Centre for ecological Apiculture have absoved the two semester Traineeship "Ecological beekeeping Proficiency" (#62)

Certification according the EU organic rule, USDA organic program or standards of other organic and beekeeping associations who support framehive-beekeeping, is not sufficient to be in conformity with standards of Centre for ecological Apiculture!

For grade A beeproduce certification we offer a two semester traineeship in the Centre for Ecological Apiculture. By the way more and more beekeepers are needed who are successful applicants of final class and graduated in natural beekeeping (#62)! Experience shows that a  SAVE BEECOLONIES and Natural Apitherapy Council membership for many years has positive effects on certification!
 
 

• 100 % pure beeswax from naturally drawn combs without residuals (qualified for apitherapeutic purposes and bio-dynamic apiaries)
• pure modeling beewax without artificial additives
• pure comb honey, comb in the comb with natural cristalization (not heated)
• Natural honey (raw honey, run-honey from natural combs neither extracted nor stirred nor heated before filling)
• apitherapeutic products like German springtime pollen, comb honey with beebread, propolis, royal gelee
• candles
• Natural beeswarms with queen from swarm cell (not grafted or artificially inseminated)
• Beekeeping supplies such as top-bar hive, equippment and tools for organic / ecological top bar beekeeping