An Introduction to Balanced Beekeeping

If you are thinking about establishing some bee hives as part of your garden, farm,
homesteadorsmallholding,itisworthspendingsometimethinkingaboutthetypeofbee
keeperyouwanttobecome.
Honeybeescannotbedomesticatedinthesensethatcowsorpigsorsheephavebeen.
DespitecontactwithusthroughoutourtimeonEarthandmanyattemptstobreedthem
tosuitourneeds,theyremainessentiallyunchanged.Theiruniquematingbehaviourand
reproductivecycleensurethatdiversityandadaptabilitywillcontinuetobethedominant
themesintheirevolution.
Inthecontextofthewiderenvironment,pollinationisbyfarthemostimportantactivity
engagedinbybees,albeitasabyproductoftheirforagingactivities.Itistheirintimate
involvementinthereproductivemechanismofthefloweringplantsthatprovidesuswith
thepossibilityofavarieddietandhastherebysupportedourownevolutionaryprocess.
AsIseeit,ourmainjobas'beekeepers'istobeobservantandtounderstandourbeesto
thebestofourability.Wecannotfullyenterintotheirworld,butwehaveanunique
opportunitytogainagreaterappreciationofit.Andoncewebegintounderstandhow
deeply embedded they are within nature, and what sensitive indicators they are of
disturbancesinthenaturalworld,wemayfindourselvesunabletoimagineafunctional
planetwithoutthem.Sobeforelaunchingheadlongintothekeepingofbees,Iwouldurge
youtotakeadeepbreathandconsiderwhatitisthatreallyinterestsyouaboutthem,as
thiswillgiveyousomeimportantinformationabouthowbesttoproceed.Anhourortwo
ofcarefuldeliberationatthisstagecouldsaveyoualotoftime,agooddealoftroubleand
apileofmoney.
Tohelpyoudecidewhereyoustandonthe'beekeepingspectrum',Ihaveidentifiedsix
typesofbeekeeping,threeofwhichfallonwhatIcallthe'conventional'andthreeonthe
'natural'side.
1. Honey farming
Productionfocused; intensive management of bees for maximum honey yield or for
migratorypollination.TypicallyinvolvesroutinesugarorHFCSfeedingandprophylactic
medications, including antibiotics and miticides. Queens are usually raised using
artificialinseminationandreplacedfrequentlysometimesmorethanonceperseason
whiledronesaresuppressedandswarmingispreventedbytheexcisionofqueencellsor
by splitting colonies. Usually involves somemovement ofhives, sometimes over large
distances especially in the USA. This is a business run for profit, linked closely to
agriculture,butaswithotherfarmingwork,therewillbegoodyearsandbad.
2. Sideline beekeeping
Asmallerscale,parttimeversionofhoneyfarming.Theaimisprofit,butyourlivelihood
doesnotentirelydependonit.

3. Association beekeeping
Aminiatureversionofcommercialorsidelinebeekeeping,aspromotedandtaughtby
mostconventionalbeekeepers'associations.Usuallytheintentionisstilltoproducethe
maximumamountofhoney,butfromonlyasmallnumberofhivesandnotnecessarily
forfinancialreward.Queensareoftenmarkedandclippedandinmostotherrespectsthe
methodsapethoseofthehoneyfarmer.
4. Balanced beekeeping
Theemphasisisonbeewelfareandfacilitatingthenaturalbehaviourofbees,withthe
intentionofprovidingconditionsinwhichbeesmayfindtheirownsolutions.Restrained
takingofhoneyandotherbeeproductsonlywhenplentifulandappropriate.Beekeepers
mayormaynotusemitetreatmentsormedications,butiftheydo,theyusenontoxic,
naturallyderived substances that support bee health rather than target specific
disorders. Queens are openmated, splits optional and swarming may or may not be
managed.Provisionisusuallymadeforinspections,whichmayormaynotberegularly
undertaken.
5. Natural beekeeping
Similar to 'balanced beekeeping', with heavier emphasis on 'donothing' approaches.
Little or no management is attempted, and rarely are splits made or queenrearing
carried out beyond what the bees do themselves. Hives are rarely opened; routine
inspectionsarediscouraged;honeyisrarelytaken;otherhiveproductsbarelyatall.
6. Bee Conservation
Bees for their own sake; no honey taken and no inspections, treatments or feeding;
Darwinianapproachtosurvival.Beesdoastheypleaseandtaketheirchanceswiththe
weather and forage. Beefriendly plants may be incorporated in a conservationstyle
scheme,whichmayincludeotherpollinatorspecies.
WhileIhaveshowntheseasdistinctcategories,theyshouldreallybethoughtofasa
continuous spectrum, from most to least invasive and from most to least 'production
focused'.Itisalsopossibleatleast,intheoryforahoneyproducertooperateapiaries
along'Darwinian'lineswithnomedicationandrelyingonsurvivorstockbutinpractise,
serioushoneyproductionreliesonquiteintensivebeemanagement.
YoumaynoticethatintheabovelistIhavenotmentionedanyparticulartypesofhive.
While it is true that certain designs are more suitable for specific applications, it is
possibletobea'balancedbeekeeper'usingaconventionalframehive,andinFranceand
elsewheretherearehoneyfarmersusingWarrhivesaverticalvariantofthetopbar
hive, which was designed for outright honey production. It would also be perfectly
possibletobean'interfering'beekeeperinatopbarhive,soIdon'tthinkitisusefulto
categorizebeekeeperspurelybytheshapeoftheirhivesoreventheirpersonalitytraits:
itistheirintentionandattitudetowardtheirbeesthatmatters.

The Origins of 'Balanced

Beekeeping'
Ifyouhavereadmyotherbooks
and are familiar with my
methods, you may be wondering
why I appear to be creating a
category of beekeeping
apparentlyoutofthinairjustas
weweregettingusedtousingthe
term'naturalbeekeeping'.Where
did this 'balanced beekeeping'
thingcomefrom?
The term 'natural beekeeping'
wastomyknowledgefirstused
on our online forum around
2008, and was discussed at a
meeting of about a dozen
interestedpeopleattheofficesof
Bees for Development in
Monmouth, Wales, in 2009. At
that meeting, we were trying to
find a generic term for what we
were all attempting in slightly
differentwaystoachieve,andto
differentiate ourselves from
conventional attitudes to
beekeeping, as widely taught in
John Hodgson of Todmorden, West Yorkshire, with his newly-built
theUKandelsewhere.Whilewe
top bar hive.
all recognized the paradoxical
natureoftheterm,wealsofeltthatitencourageddiscussionanddrewattentiontothe
distinctions we were keen to make. No doubt, similar discussions were taking place
amongothergroupsofpeople,unknowntous.
Since that meeting, there has been an ongoing discussion about what 'natural
beekeeping' actually means and just how 'natural' we should be, and what is, by
implication, unnatural about conventional methods. This conversation has generated
further distinctions and it has become clear that some hardline 'natural' beekeepers
havecomedownonthe'nointerventions'sideofthefence,preferringtoobservebeesand
keepthemincontainersnotdesignedtobeopenedveryoftenoratall,insomecases
whileotherswanttokeepbeesinawaythatstillallowsforsomemeasureofswarm
control,compliancewithinspectionrequirementsandwiththepossibilityoftheremoval
ofsomehoneywhenplentiful.
Inshort,'naturalbeekeeping'seemstohaveshiftedtowardsthe'conservation'endofthe

spectrum and created something of a gap between itself and what I have called
association beekeeping, as promoted by conventional associations. This is the gap in
which, I suggest, 'balanced beekeeping' happily sits, and as I coined this term for a
purpose,Ihadbetterexplainmyself.
'Balancedbeekeeping'accommodatestheuseofawiderangeofequipmentandmethods,
whilepreferringthe'natural'overthe'conventional'.Itisastyleofbeekeepingforthose
who are willing to think through their interactions with bees and not merely follow
instructions.
Balancedbeekeepingisforpeoplewhowanttodomorethanjustobservebees:theywant
tobebee'keepers'ratherthanjustbee'havers';theywantamoreintimaterelationship
withtheirbeesthanisallowedbyneveropeningthehive,whileunderstandingthatthis
should always be done mindfully and not too often. They want to keep healthy bees
without resorting to medications, but they are happy for the bee inspector to call
occasionallyandchecktheirchargesforsignsofdisease,ifthatisrequired.Ifahive
becomesbadtemperedandbeginstocauseanuisancetoneighbours,theyarewillingand
able to replace the queen if appropriate, or move the hive to another location. When
combs become black with age and propolis, they can easily remove them. If a hive
becomeshoneybound,theycanrecognizetheconditionandrectifyit.Theyknowhowto
raiseafewextraqueensshoulditbecomenecessaryandtheycantellwhenacolony
needssomeextrafeedingandcanprovideit:theyrecognizethatbeekeepingisbotha
science and an art and constantly strive to improve their skills. Above all, they are
constantlyanddeliberatelylearningtheircraft.
Balancedbeekeepingisaboutworkingwiththenaturalimpulsesandhabitsof
the bees, respecting the integrity of the brood chamber, leaving them ample
honeystoresoverwinterandgenerallyarrangingthingsinordertocausetheir
beesaslittlestressanddisturbanceaspossible,whilebeingwillingandableto
intervene when the bees need help or when their activities are causing a
nuisancetoothers.
Sothepointofbalanceissomewherebetweendoingtoomuchanddoingnothing;being
overcontrollingandlettingnaturetakeitscourse;beingabeefarmerandabeewatcher.
Comparedtothemore'honeyfocused'approaches,moretimeisspentobservingthebees
andsomeoperationsmayneedtobeperformedalittlemoreoften:honeyharvesting,for
example,islikelytobedonebytakingsmalleramountsoveraperiodofweeksormonths,
ratherthanthetypicalallatonce,smashandgrabraidpractisedbyhoneyfarmersand
mostamateurs.
Ifyourmainaimistoobtaintheabsolutemaximumamountofhoneyfromyourhives,
regardlessofallotherconsiderations,thenyouwillbynowhaverealizedthatyouare
readingthewrongbook.Notthatthisstyleofbeekeepingcannotproducedecentamounts
of honey it certainly can but the emphasis here is on sustainability andkeeping
healthybees,ratherthansettingrecordsforhoneycrops,whichinevitablyhasacostto
thewelfareofthebees.Theessenceofbalanceistoworkwellwithinthelimitsofa

naturalsystem. Wedonotaimtoextracteverypossibledropofhoneyfromahive.We
respectthebees'needtoeattheirownstoresespeciallyoverthewinterandregard
sugarsyrupasaninferiorsupplementtobegivenonlywhenbeesareshortoftheirown
food,duetoprolongedbadweatherorothercauses.
A Mutually Beneficial
Relationship
Asbeekeepers,ournaturalallies
are gardeners, organic growers
andsmallholdersandespecially
those who understand and use
the principles of permaculture,
whichcanalsobethoughtofas
theprinciplesofnature.
A mutually beneficial and
sustainable relationship with
ourbeesmustbebasedonsuch
atrulyholisticattitude:weneed
to learn more about how the
colony works as a complete,
living entity and the manifold
Lszl Csuja demonstrating his hexagonal Gedde hive in Kisgyr,
ways inwhich it interacts with Hungary. His design is constructed in layered units,with each
its environment, with us and straight section of timber of an identical pattern. His hive is
withotherlivingthings.Fortoo managed in a similar way to the Warr.
long we have been locked into an unbalanced, oldfashioned, reductionist approach,
dealingwithbeesasiftheyweremeremachinescreatedsolelyforourbenefit,insteadof
highlyevolved,wildcreatures,withwhichweareprivilegedtowork.
Ibelievethatkeepingbeesforhoneyshouldbesmallscale,localandcarriedoutinthe
spiritofrespectforthebeesandappreciationofthevitalparttheyplayinouragriculture
andinthenaturalworld.Idisapproveoflargescale,commercialbeekeepingbecauseit
inevitablyleadstoa'factoryfarming'mentalityinthewaybeesaretreated,handledand
robbed.I believewe shouldthink ofhoneymuch less as afoodandmuchmoreasa
medicine, and adjust our consumption accordingly. We should not expect to see
supermarketshelvespiledhighwithjarsofhoneyfromaroundtheworld,asifitwere
jamorpeanutbutter.Honeyshouldbevaluedandprizedastheproductofinnumerable
beemiles and the assimilation of uncountable drops of priceless nectar from myriad
flowers.
Honeybeeslovetofeedonamultiplicityofflowers,ascanbeeasilydemonstratedbythe
varietyofdifferent pollenstheywillcollectifsitedinawildplacewithdiverseflora.
Transportingthemtowherethereisonlyasinglecropof,say,oilseedrape(Brassica
napa)withinreachcausesanunnaturalconcentrationwithinthehiveofasinglepollen,
whichis,Idaretopresume,lackinginsomeoftheelementstheyrequireforfullhealth.

Itmayalsocontainsmallamountsofpesticides,whichmayormaynotintrinsicallybe
enoughtofatallydamagetheforagerbeesnervoussystem,butwhengatheredbymany
thousandsofworkersandconcentratedintotheconfinedspaceofthehivemayeasily
reach lethal levels. Yet migratory beekeeping is practised in just this way on an
industrialscaleinsomecountries,especiallytheUSA.Clearly,thisneedstochange.
Protecting Biodiversity
Animportantaspectof'balance'istoensurethatouractivitiesasbeekeepersdonothave
adetrimentalimpactonotherspecies.
Honeybees evolved to live in colonies distributed across the land according to the
availabilityoffoodandshelter.Forcing50,100ormorecoloniestosharetheterritory
thatatmosthalfadozenwouldnaturallyoccupyisboundtoleadtoconcentrationsof
diseasesandparasites,andmayalsothreatentheforageandthustheveryexistenceof
otherimportantpollinatinginsects,suchasbumblebees,masonbeesandthemanyother
species that benefit both wild and cultivated plants. This means that we have a
responsibilitynottooverstockanylocationandtocreatehabitatforotherspecies,which
maytaketheformof'beehotels'orsimplypilesofoldlogs.
Anythingthatisdonetoimprovetheenvironmentforhoneybeeswillalsobebeneficialto
other pollinators. Having a deep appreciation of the interconnectedness of all living
things,andanunderstandingoftheimpactourownspecieshashadandisstillhaving,
leadsusinevitablytotheconclusionthatwehavearesponsibilitytowardseverything
thatwalksorcrawlsorslithersontheearthorbeneathit,orthatswimsintheseaor
fliesintheair,andsharesthispreciousplanetwithus.
Asbeekeepers,wehaveaspecialresponsibilitytoalsobe'earthkeepers'.
Backyard Beekeeping
Balancedbeekeepingissmallscalebydefinition.Itis'backyardbeekeeping'bypeople
whowanttohaveafewhivesatthebottomoftheirgarden,ontheirrooforintheirown
oraneighbour'sfield.
Probablyyouwanttoproducemodestquantitiesofhoneyforyourfamilyandfriends,
with,perhaps,asurplustosellatthegateorinthelocalmarket.Youwillhaveby
products;mostobviouslybeeswax,whichyoucanmakeintousefulstufflikecandles,skin
creams,woodpolishandleathertreatments,sobeekeepingcouldbecomethecoreofa
profitablesideline.
Youareinterestedinbeesfortheirownsake,Ihope.Ifnotyet,Ihavenodoubtthatyou
willbeonceyouhavelookedafterafewhivesforaseasonortwo.
Youmayhavebeentoanopendayhostedbyyourlocalbeekeepersassociation,orreada
book,orperhapsyouhavetakentheplungealreadyandboughtasecondhandhiveand
capturedaswarmorobtaineda'nuc'.Youmayhavebrowsedthroughthecataloguesof
beekeeping suppliers, wondering at the enormous number of gadgets and pieces of
equipmentyouseemtoneedandwonderingwhereyouwouldputitallandhowyou
wouldpayforit.Inthiscase,youmaybethankfultoknowthatmymissionistoshow

youthat,(a)beekeepingdoesnothavetobeascomplicatedassomewouldmakeitoutto
beand(b)youneednoneofthestuffinthoseglossybeekeepers'suppliescataloguesin
ordertokeephealthy,happyandproductivebees.Ifyouwanttoenjoyyourbeekeeping
andnothaveitbecomeanexpensivechore,myadviceistokeepitsimple,sustainable
andsmallscale.Complicationsintheformofunnecessarygadgetsquicklyaddtoyour
costsandtheamountofphysicalandmentalspacetakenupbywhatshouldbeasimple
activity.
The system I will describe here is about as simple as beekeeping can get, while
maintaining provision for occasional inspections, comfortable overwintering and non
destructiveharvesting.Everythingyouneedisinoneboxthebeehivewhichyoucan
makeyourselfifyoufollowtheinstructionsinBalancedBeekeepingI.

Principles of Balanced Beekeeping

Therearetoomany'booksofrules'intheworldalreadyandIhavenodesiretoadd
anotherone.Instead,inTheBarefootBeekeeper,Iproposedthreeprinciples,whichform
thebasisofmyapproachtobeekeeping.Youarewelcometoadoptthemiftheysuityou,
oryoumaywanttothinkaboutcreatingsomeofyourown.
1. Interference in the natural lives of the bees is kept to a minimum.
Thisisnotalicenceforneglect,butratheranencouragementto'leavewellalone'.
Most beekeepers' associations stipulate full colony inspections every 710 days
throughouttheseason,onthegroundsthatweshouldatalltimesknowthestatusofour
coloniesintermsofdiseases,parasites,queenrightness,availablespaceandfoodstores.
Isuggestthat,bypayingcloseattention,youcangainaquiteaccuratepictureofallthese
aspects without routinely removing every comb from the brood nest, which creates
considerabledisruptionandneedlessstressforthebeesandwhichishighlylikelytobe
detrimentaltotheirhealth.Beesgotoagreatdealoftroubletokeepundesirableviruses,
bacteria,mouldsandfungiawayfromtheirdevelopinglarvae,includingsealinguptheir
livingquarterswith propolis.Breakingthissealcausesthemattheveryleastextra
repairworkandallowsairbornepathogensdirectaccesstoopenbrood:aninvitationfor
theacquisitionandspreadofdisease.
Towards the other end of the spectrum, some natural beekeepers, including some
advocatesofAbbWarrsPeoplesHive,leavethebeestotheirowndevicesfromearly
springrightthroughtotheendoftheseason.Somebeeinspectorsarenotentirelyhappy
withthis,butitcertainlytakesour'minimuminterference'principletoitslogicalend,
shortofaltogetherabandoningtheconceptof'keepingbees'.Indeed,Ithinkthereisan
excellentcaseforsettingupanetworkof'conservation'hives,thatarenottouchedatall
andinwhichbeesmayhaveachancetobuilduptheirgeneticdiversityonceagain,allow
somenaturalselectiontotakeplaceandprovideacontinuoussupplyofswarmsforre
populatingourhives.

2. Nothing is put into the hive that is known to be, or likely to be harmful
either to the bees, to us or to the wider environment and nothing is
taken out that the bees cannot afford to lose.
Itseemstomethatthewayforwardinthecontrolandtreatmentofbeediseasesand
parasites lies not in the use of synthetic chemicals, but in breeding from the most
resilient,survivingstock,andputtingourfaithintheabilitytestedovermillenniaof
thebeestofindsolutionstotheirownproblems.Alsoimportant,Ithink,willbetheuseof
beefriendlyhivesandmanagementtechniques,alongwithnaturalsizedcellsbuiltby
beestotheirowndesign.
Our recent experience with Varroa destructor has demonstrated that such pests can
developimmunitytomiticidesinaveryshorttime.Byusingsuchtreatments,wehelped
theevolutionofthemitebyselectingfortheimmunitytochemicalxtrait:thosemites
thatsurvivedourassaultwentontobreedwithothersurvivors,sonowwehavemites
thatarehardertokill.Bayerorsomeotherpesticidemanufacturerwill,nodoubt,
comeupwithanotherchemical'fix'andthecyclewillbeginagain.Inmyopinion,thisisa
deadendpolicythatbolsterstheobscenelylargeprofitsoftheagrichemicalindustry
whilemakingtheproblemworseforusandthebeesinthelongerterm.
Thebalancedbeekeeperhasnouseforsyntheticchemicals,relyinginsteadoncreating
theoptimumconditionsforthebees'healthandwellbeing.Ifatreatmentisconsidered
necessaryforthebees'survival,welookforthenaturalmedicinethatcausesleastharm
andthenconsideralloptionsandconsequencesbeforemakingadecision,bearinginmind
theuniversalanimalbreedersprinciplethatnobenefitisgainedbyperpetuatingthe
genesofalinethathasprovenitselfunabletosurviveunaided.
Harvestingofhoneyisonthebasisofsharingwiththebees,ratherthan robbing them
blind.Thebalancedbeekeeperaimstoleavethebeesamplehoneytogetthemthrough
thewinter,onlyfeedingsugarwhenabsolutelynecessarytosupplementtheirstores.
Considerableargumenthasragedtoandfroabouttheuseofrefined,whitesugarasa
food for bees. Some say that it is just as good as honey, while others claim it to be
positivelydetrimental.Ibelievethat bees needhoney,as thatiswhat theymakefor
themselves.Ofcourse,theyturnsugarsyrupintosomethingasclosetohoneyasthey
can,butitseemslikelythatitwillalwaysbemissingthattinyfractionofmineralsand
vitaminsthat,onthescaleoftheirdelicatedigestivesystems,makeavitaldifferenceto
theiroverallhealth.
Onthisbasis,Ialwaysmakesurethatmybeeshavehoneyfortheirwinterfeedandif
thatmeansIhavelesshoneyonmytoast,thensobeit.
3. The bees know what they are doing: our job is to listen to them and
provide the optimum conditions for their well-being, both inside and
outside the hive.
Accordingtothosewhoknewhim,oneofBrotherAdam'sfavouritesayingswas,Listen
tothebeesandletthemguideyou.
Intheliteralsense,muchcanbelearnedbytheattentivebeekeeperbylisteningtothe

sounds the bees make and learning to differentiate their possible meanings. The
differencesinpitchandvolumebetweenthewingnotesofabeeindefensivemodeand
anotherthatismerelycuriousisoneofthefirstandmostusefuldistinctionstolearn.
Then thereis thebrief 'roar' when ahive is tapped with aknuckle, which gives you
information about the approximate number of inhabitants and their general state of
alertness. If the roar continues beyond a few seconds and develops into an overall
hubbub,suspectthatthecolonyiswithoutaqueen.Ahealthyhiveofdocilebeesgoing
abouttheirbusinesshasacharacteristic,contentedhum,whichisthemostpleasantand
relaxingsoundabeekeeperhopestohear.Ofcourse,BrotherAdamwasalsoindicating
thatweshouldpayattentiontotheneedsofthebeesandplanourworkaccordinglyand
notbyourownmechanicalclocks.
There is much to be learned by both literal and metaphorical 'listening': we can
continuouslydevelopourperceptionbyspendingmoretimeobservingbees.
Ifsoundprinciplesareassimilatedasthefoundationofourbeekeepingpractice,wedo
notneeda'bookofrules'toanswereverylittlequestionthatarises.Nosuchbookcould
covereveryeventuality,butasetofsoundprinciplescanreminduswheretolookforthe
answer.
PhilipChandler

The Barefoot Beekeeper firstpublishedin2007andnowinits4 thedition,

thisbookhasbeencreditedwithstartingthe'naturalbeekeeping'movement.Itspells
out why 'modern beekeeping' and 'modern agriculture' have caused many of the
problemsthatbeesnowsufferfromandsuggestssomeremedies.

Balanced Beekeeping I: Building a Top Bar Hive theory and

detailedconstructionplansforthisincreasinglypopularhive.

Balanced Beekeeping II: Managing the Top Bar Hive 350pagesof

detailedinformationonhivemanagementandkeepingyourbeeshealthy.Thisisthe
'workshopmanual'forusersofthetopbarhive.
AllbooksbyPhilChandlerareavailableatLulu.com
Moreinformation,muchofitfree,ontheauthor'swebsite

biobees.com