As honeybees face environmental challenges such as Varroa mites and colony collapse disorder, many beekeepers are escalating their use of synthetic chemicals and antibiotics. New practices need to be developed if we want to preserve our honeybees and continue to enjoy the fruits of their labor.

In his book Natural Beekeeping, Ross Conrad proposes an alternative, biological model where there is a “unique role played by all of the creatures of creation.” As he explains, bees are a lot like humans. When exploited, workers, both human and bee, tend not to work as well. Furthermore, honeybees take what they need in such a way that the world around them is improved. This attitude informs many of Conrad’s approaches to beekeeping.
This book is an important introduction to applying organic concepts to beekeeping. Conrad advocates getting your bees from a local source that has proven to be tolerant to the conditions specific to your region. He is a champion of keeping your hive healthy from the start so that the bees can fight off pests on their own. For example, he recommends that to “control the damaging effects of the wax moth without chemicals, the organically minded beekeeper can make use of the two things that keep most everything healthy: sunlight and fresh air.” He believes that a peaceful, focused attitude is better than any bee suit when working with bees.
Ross Conrad learned his craft from the late Charles Mraz, world-renowned beekeeper and founder of Champlain Valley Apiaries in Vermont. Former president of the Vermont Beekeepers Association, Conrad is a regular contributor to Bee Culture – The Magazine of American Beekeeping. Ross has led bee-related presentations and taught organic beekeeping workshops and classes throughout North America for many years. His small beekeeping business, Dancing Bee Gardens, supplies friends, neighbors, and local stores with honey and candles among other bee related products, and provides bees for Vermont apple pollination in spring.

If you’ve already begun to explore apiculture, you’ll recognize the freshness of Conrad’s approach. Even if you are new to the subject, there is much you can learn from Natural Beekeeping. Conrad explains the best way to remove a bee stinger, for example, and how to use a smoker organically to calm and herd bees. But much of what Ross Conrad has to teach is an attitude toward bees and beekeeping that is sustainable and holistic.

Natural Beekeeping is  published by Chelsea Green Publishing Co. It is softcover, 8 x10 inches, 240 pages. $35. Available from Growing for Market’s online store at www.growingformarket.com or by calling 800-307-8949.

Jessica Pierson is the office manager for Growing for Market, and an aspiring beekeeper.