"I commend this book to not only experienced beekeepers who would like to transition to a more bee-friendly approach, but also beginners who, while having access in some form to instruction about basic beekeeping, do not want to be steered into the conventional, mechanistic apiculture that new generations of beekeepers are increasingly finding unsatisfactory."
David Heaf
Author of The Bee-friendly Beekeeper & Natural Beekeeping with the Warré Hive
Many beekeepers today, faced with an alarming decline in the bee population, are looking for a more sustainable way to care for their hives. Biodynamic methods, which consider the influence of the stars and planets on bee activity and habitats, offer an approach which helps foster happier and healthier bees.
In this fascinating book, biodynamic beekeeping expert Matthias Thun shares advice and knowledge gained from more than 50 years' experience of keeping bees, including:
• Which days are better for inspecting colonies and which days for gathering honey
• The challenges and advantages of breeding queen bees
• How to artificially induce swarming to propagate colonies
• How to use biodynamic ashing techniques to combat varroa mites
• Instructions for making winter feeds according to current biodynamic thinking
Ideal for both experienced beekeepers seeking to convert to biodynamic methods and current biodynamic beekeepers, this readable book offers a unique and personal insight into the theory and practice of biodynamic beekeeping.
Matthias Thun (1948-2020)
The son of biodynamic pioneer Maria Thun, was an international expert on biodynamic beekeeping with over 50 years' experience.
Contents
Foreword by David Heaf
The Start of the Bee Year
Caring for Bees According to Cosmic Rhythms
The First Spring Inspection
The Building Frame
The Urge to Swarm
The colony is allowed to swarm
Preventing the swarm but retaining the young queens
Preventing the swarm but swarm cells are not required for breeding queens
Controlling and preventing the swarm urge
The Marburg box
Colony Regeneration and Propagation
Natural increase in colony numbers
Prime swarm at the site of the parent colony
Artificial colony increase
Colony reproduction with bred queens
Various options for colony reproduction
Breeding Queen Bees
Breeding in queenless colonies
Breeding in queen-right colonies
Queen reproduction through deliberate use of the swarming instinct
Honeycomb Construction
Natural comb constructio
Foundation
The use of natural comb and comb built with foundation
Changing over to natural comb
Building in the honey chamber
The age of foundation Wax
Conclusion
Honey
Nectar
Processing the honey
Types of honey and their uses
Feeding in Winter
Bee Diseases
Brood disease
Adult bee diseases
Diseases that harm both brood and adult bee
Methods of Ash Usage
Potentising the ash
The application of ground (dynamised) ash
Varroa and drones
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