You might see a lot of articles and books out there now talking about "Organic" beekeeping.
What, really, does "organic" mean? Basically, it means using or applying principles normally related to living beings in non-living instances.
For example, organic farming, simplified, means to focus on the methods of growth, development and even security or self-defense, that a living plant in a wild or feral (non-managed) situation might do.
I have used the term "Bee Wise" beekeeping to describe the same thing in relationship to bees and beekeeping. Others have used the term "Natural" similarly.
Very frequently, when discussing organic beekeeping, the use of non-conventional hives are touted as being "organic" such as horizontal top bar hives or even vertical top bar hives such as Warre's People's hive. The reason they are considered to be organic is because they are designed to mimic or simulate a natural void space that bees might choose to build a nest in of their own accord in the "wild" These would be similar to a fallen log or a tree trunk in loose approximation.
Another reason they are considered "organic" besides sharing a somewhat similar volume and shape would be that combs are made freely to the bees determinations. Comb is drawn and cells are sized as the bees determine, not as a beekeeper using wax or plastic foundation has determined.
Given that conventional Langstroth style hives focus on larger than "normal" void spaces inside the hive and that they more often than not use frames to shape comb and plastic or wax foundation to direct cell building, these are not typically considered to be "organic" hives.
But, can they be?
For example, if instead of using the standard 8 or 10 frame sized hive body, 5 frame "nuc" boxes were to be standardized upon, those would be very similar in volume to an "organic" hive. Even the shape, though rectangular, would be considered to be more organic than the larger, square-ish hive bodies.
Also, even though using frames, one were to use foundation-less frames, that would allow the bees to control cell building entirely to their own specifications, though comb drawing itself would still be confined to the shape of the frame.
Warre's practice of "nadiring" boxes instead of "supering" them is considered to me more "organic" because it follows closely the bees natural instinct to start comb building at the top of the hive and to draw it down into the void space below. This practice is also able to be accomplished using the "nuc" boxes.
In these ways, a Langstroth type hive could be used in "organic" beekeeping. Yes, the idea of still using frames inside would relegate them to being a step down from the top bar hives, but practical beekeepers making the effort while needing the stability of frames for moving hives would have something they could make do with.
Of course, it has been said that raising resistant or hygienic queens from local stock is to be considered as "organic" as well because it follows the basis of Natural Selection to weed out the weak and propagate the strong. Raising queens in nucs is not unheard of. Some might say it is one of the original uses of such boxes in a conventional system.
Organic hives depend on healthy, populous colonies inhabiting them that are both pest resistant and exhibit hygienic behaviors. They also exhibit the ability to forage and store food in amounts to ensure Winter survival as well as conserve energy and resources when it is time to.
These are the desirable traits an "organic" or "Bee Wise" beekeeper wants to depend on instead of using any chemicals, hard or soft, in the hives.
It takes time, patience and educated work to get locally raised bees to that point. A tremendous investment of time and effort is involved.
Can a conventional hive be successful using "organic" beekeeping methods? I say that yes, it is possible, but it will require something different from the beekeeper than they might have originally anticipated going in to beekeeping with.
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