Randy Oliver <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Please keep up the organic work, but lay off the finger wagging.  You only
>alienate the majority.  Instead, act as a model,,,

Hello Randy!

First,  my model has a name, and that is ‘Ecological Beekeeping’
Or if you wish ‘Biodynamic Beekeeping”.  And if talking healthy beekeeping 
practices alienates people, then so be it.  

Secondly, If you actually took the time to read what I wrote, I was ONLY 
advising that sugar powder treatments are NOT permitted under the 
guidelines of ecological beekeeping, and that it would be better placed 
one of the ‘’MANY’’ interpretations of organic beekeeping (pick one that 
fits the style).  I said nothing bad about your sugar dusting, only that 
it should NOT be classified under Ecological Beekeeping. 

Ecological Beekeeping, also known as Biodynamic Beekeeping is at the 
pinnacle of organic beekeeping,  it is EXTREEM ORGANIC!  Treatments are 
NOT permitted to be used at any level.  Michael Weiler the author of ‘Bees 
and Honey, From Flower to Jar’  helped to develop guidelines for 
approaches to ecological beekeeping and these approaches include specific 
rules such as queen rearing by swarm impulse only, no clipping wings, NO 
treatments, and the keeping of bees in dwellings that shall predominantly 
consist of natural materials etc,,,.  

Gunther Hauk, Biodynamic Beekeeper and author of ‘Toward Saving the 
Honeybee’  describes the honeybee “as a sick patient who has been trying 
for years to signal to us the deep crises of its diminishing life forces 
and its increasing inability to resonate with the environment.“.  Gunther 
explains "During the twentieth century, beekeeping methods were perfected 
that aimed for optimal honey harvest with minimal investment and work. 
Measures that merely consider our own comfort and calculate our economic 
situation, while neglecting the honeybees' own instinctual wisdom, have 
ruined the health of the honeybee. The way we raise queens, prevent 
swarming, manipulate the brood nest, feed sugar and pollen substitutes, 
manipulate the drone population, give plastic foundations or denatured 
wax, all these practices have added up to weaken the bee to the point that 
it does not have the integral health or the immune system to ward off 
predators.”  And further describes Ecological Beekeeping methods to help 
correct the problem. 

So I am not against you sugar dusting, and make no mistake about it, I wag 
no fingers at anyone.  All I am saying, is that these things should not be 
classified under Ecological Beekeeping or Biodynamic Beekeeping.. 

I have seen in the past few years a redefining, a bastardization of many 
organic type terms so that they mean treatments are allowed.  Its getting 
so bad, that I am seeing many organic beekeepers have voluntarily 
abandoned the use of some of these terms because the words no longer 
describe their style of clean beekeeping.

Instead of redefining, lowering the bar and watering down terms to meet 
our goals.  Why not for a change,  keep the bars where they are and put 
forth a little (as Gunther Hauk said) “investment and work” and strive for 
the right to use the terms, and actually earn a badge for a change! 

Best Wishes,

Joe Waggle
EcologicalBeekeeping.com 
‘Bees Gone Wild Apiaries' 
Feral Bee Project: 
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FeralBeeProject/ 

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