Homestead Beekeeping

Let's talk about this approach I refer to as "Homestead Beekeeping".  I use this term in contrast to "Conventional Beekeeping or "Commercial Beekeeping".

Let's keep facts up front shall we?  Both commercial beekeeping and conventional beekeeping are approaches of beekeeping that focus on beekeepers working hives to maximize honey production in the best interest of the beekeeper.

Conventional beekeeping is, the way I refer to it, using the same equipment, management techniques and prioritization of beekeeper intent over bee intent, just on a smaller and generally more localized scale.

Homestead Beekeepers also want to harvest product from the hives.  However, the motive isn't for profit necessarily as it is to contribute to the beekeeper's ability to be self sufficient.  Not to say that every hobbyist that follows conventional beekeeping is in it for profit, but that the practices they use and the view they take to beekeeping is essentially the same as commercial beekeeping.

No, I'm not calling these people bad people or bad beekeepers.  I'm just saying that a homestead beekeeper has a bit of a different set of priorities and outlook toward the bees.

Homesteading in general is an approach to life that is centered around a person being self sufficient.  The self sufficient person is looking for ways to provide for their lifestyle that is not dependent on the surrounding social system.  They prefer to make and grow and do things themselves to have more control over the process and to use the harvested items in their everyday life.

Homesteaders grow fruits and vegetables.  We raise livestock for food and materials.  Homesteaders try to be as efficient as possible, getting the most out of our efforts as possible and be as resourceful as possible.  We also have a healthy respect for those animals and creatures we include in our efforts.

When it comes to honey bees, we want to not only get the surplus honey, but the extra wax as well.  We want the surplus pollen and the extra propolis.  We also want the pollination for our gardens and fruit trees.  We want to be able to harvest over the long term as much as possible meaning we look out for the welfare of the bees above all.

We have a lot of respect for the bees as being very self sufficient themselves.  They are a role model and example of this worthwhile lifestyle.  Bees do not "need"  people to survive.  They have adapted with flowers over 150 million years.  They are actually very able to over produce to meet their own needs and tolerate harvesting of their surplus resources very well all things considered.

What the Homestead beekeeper understands is that the bees don't need us to do it for them.  They need us to generally stay out of their way and be a good neighbor to them.  The need us to plant lots of flowers all year long.  this benefits them as well as it benefits us.

They need us to stay out of the hive unless it's absolutely necessary.  Whether it is harvest time or because we observe a problem when we inspect the external area of the hive, they will let us know when they need someones attention and assistance to overcome problems they cannot handle themselves.

We as Homestead beekeepers learn the signs of a hive in distress simply by paying attention to the external environment of the hive.  We study honey bee biology and natural behavior to identify and differentiate between a healthy colony and one that needs help.

Homestead beekeepers tend to use hives and methods that allow the best of both worlds, as we see it.  We use top bar hives or even framed hive setups that allow harvesting of honey and wax combs.  This gives us more of those items and it gives the bees fresh, unpolluted wax to raise their brood in each new Spring.  Because we take combs and all, we are very, very careful not to take too much or leave the bees with too little.  In fact, a Homestead beekeeper will be more likely to leave a little more just to ensure the bees have enough for Winter.

We try to use hives that meet the ideals that scout bees look for for when swarms leave a hive in their annual reproduction of the colony.  We look for hives that have similar dimensions and attributes that are sought out by swarms.  In other words, we want to encourage the bees to live "naturally" or as they would outside of human management. 

Why do Homestead beekeepers want to keep bees in this manner?  Because we have a great respect for our bees and e want to promote long term health and prosperity for our bees.  The longer our bees stay healthy and prosperous, the longer we can continue to harvest their surplus and be self sufficient on our own.