Attention "Natural & Organic" Beekeepers

[T Beek]

If the bear (s) that got your hives survives winter it "will come back."  Bears have good memories and "LOVE" bee larva in the Spring.  I use solar electric fencers and so far, so good.  I have friends who aren't so lucky, having repeated problems with a bee loving bear, who has destroyed his eight foot chain link fence (latest attempt) to get to his hives.

His next step will be the organic method of control called filling the freezer.

thomas

[Acebird]

Bears have good memories

So do most animals that get zapped by a fence.  My friend talks about the time he had getting his pig to go through an open gate that was protected by a wire.  Why are most people afraid of bees?  Because they have already been stung by one, usually at a young age.

[T Beek]

I think most people are actually afraid of wasps and hornets, wrongly lumping bees in with them, happens all the time. 

I can relate to your pig-keeping friend; we had to physically remove, move or lay down fencing whenever we moved our pigs around (but we eventually discovered that a bottle of beer will work wonders motivating a pig).

thomas

[Acebird]

I think most people are actually afraid of wasps and hornets, wrongly lumping bees in with them, happens all the time.

Yes, I agree.

[tedw200]

If I'm not using any type of medication and no sugars, but only natural honey to spring feed and herbs for mite control, am I a organic bee keeper and is my honey organic ?

[Acebird]

Maybe!  Is it certified, no.  You can only do what you can do.  You can't control where the bees forage.  Part of the certification is locating the apiary where there is no commercial farming and then you have the problem of urban or suburban chemical treatments.  If you are into bee keeping for yourself then don't worry about it.  If you are trying to sell the honey then tell the customers you have done all you can to be chemical free.  Let them make the choice.