Organic Beekeeping

What is natural or organic beekeeping?

By researching this subject you will find that unlike our 'more advanced' counterparts in Europe, USA, Australia etc, Ghana's beekeeping community still practices natural  beekeeping, and has therefore gained an advantage in regards to having available a product that has not been contaminated by chemical additives.

Another and perhaps more important gain Ghanaian beekeepers should exploit is the fact that their beekeeping system is relatively free from pests and disease because they use natural brood comb size. This should not change as it did in Europe at the turn of the 19th century when artificially enlarged brood combs began to be introduced by those that believed “Bigger is Better”.

To briefly sum up a very interesting but at times complicated subject I leave you with following statement by Ed & Dee Lusby:

“The various parasitic Acarapis mites and their accompanying secondary stress diseases are not the problem; they are merely the advanced stages of an artificially caused problem. THE STRESS RESULTING FROM GENERALLY ACCEPTED BEEKEEPING PRACTICES OF ARTIFICIALLY ENLARGED BROOD-COMBS, NUTRITION BY EITHER BEING OUT-OF-BALANCE WITH NATURAL FLORA OR FED ARTIFICIAL DIETS OF POLLEN SUBSTITUTE AND/OR SUGAR/CORN SYRUP, OVERUSE OF ANITBIOTICS, AND CHEMICALS, REPEATED OVER MANY YEARS IS THE REAL KILLER OF DOMESTICATED HONEYBEE COLONIES.”

For more information on this subject please contact EMWA at: extramilewestafrica@gmail.com