Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture

by Ross Conrad, Gary Paul Nabhan (Foreword)

The various chemicals used in beekeeping have, for the past decades, held Varroa Destructor, a mite, and other major pests at bay, but chemical-resistance is building and evolution threatens to overtake the best that laboratory chemists have to offer. In fact, there is evidence that chemical treatments are making the problem worse. Natural Beekeeping flips the script on traditional approaches by proposing a program of selective breeding and natural hive management.

Conrad brings together the best organic and natural approaches to keeping honeybees healthy and productive here in one book. Readers will learn about nontoxic methods of controlling mites, eliminating American foulbrood disease (without the use of antibiotics), breeding strategies, and many other tips and techniques for maintaining healthy hives. Conrad's reservoir of knowledge comes from years of experience and a far-flung community of fellow beekeepers who are all interested in ecologically sustainable apiculture. Specific concepts and detailed management techniques are covered in a matter-of-fact, easy to implement way.

Natural Beekeeping describes opportunities for the seasoned professional to modify existing operations to improve the quality of hive products, increase profits, and eliminate the use of chemical treatments. Beginners will need no other book to guide them. Whether you are an experienced apiculturist looking for ideas to develop an Integrated Pest Management approach or someone who wants to sell honey at a premium price, this is the book you've been waiting for.

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Agriculture, Animals, Nature, Gardening, Sustainability

240 pages, Paperback

First published June 13, 2007

Reviews

[Bob Redmond · Rating 3 out of 5]

From the land of Vermont (home to Bill McKibben, Bernie Sanders, Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, as well as the annual "Slow Living" event Strolling of the Heifers), comes Ross Conrad, beekeeper, columnist (for Bee Culture), and advocate for natural and organic beekeeping.

His book is both a how-to book, and a rallying cry for pesticide-free, natural beekeeping. I've heard some beekeepers dismiss the book as a "waste of time;" indeed, one of Conrad's methods for pest control is to "let the hives die." (This will allow the bees to self-select for survivor stock, resistant to mites and diseases.)

If you're building a sideline operation with a couple hundred hives, or if you simply don't want to be on the vanguard of natural selection, this approach may not be for you. If you want to know how to make a home-made mite trap, or how to make a nucleus colony (naturally), along with a short history of the Irish Potato Famine, it'll be right up your alley.

Conrad depends on the notion that the bee knows best. There's a lot of "I don't know," and "maybe" in this book: will powdered sugar and brood comb methods work as a deterrent for varroa mite? Maybe. Will never re-queening be better in the long run? Could be.

On the other hand, if Conrad's methods had been used over the past 100 years, would we even _have_ the scale of troubles with, say tracheal mites and super-bacteria that we have today? Probably not. Would we be feeding bees High Fructose Corn Syrup instead of honey, or limiting biodiversity with mass-market breeding programs for queens? Likely, no.

It just depends on which side of the "possible" you want to be.

Backyard beekeepers and naturalists are leading the changes in beekeeping: creating less environmentally destructive practices, introducing local queens and hardier bee stock, and supporting a more local agriculture. Can it succeed? Well, no, we don't know… but we DO know that the industrial agricultural methods are not sustainable. Maybe letting hives die out, risking the very existence of the bee, is the path to population growth.

Conrad waxes philosophical (not to mention idealistic): "If we no longer want to live in a world based on fear, lies, greed, and violence, and instead want to create a world where love, truth, peace and compassion prevail, we must start with ourselves." In other words, if we want a healthy human hive, we need to change our behavior. If we want a healthy agricultural industry, we need to change our approach to each hive.

Experienced beekeepers probably won't find a lot of new information here. New beekeepers might find it too detailed, or detailed in the wrong places. Most of the beekeeping information is available on the web in more detail and more recent publication. Conrad's philosophy is elaborated better by naturalists going back to Rudolf Steiner, and more emphatically by folks like PJ Chandler (the "Barefoot Beekeeper") and other top-bar hive enthusiasts.

This is, nevertheless, a central book in the literature, and along with his ongoing writing, Conrad makes a valid case. One of the nation's well-known beekeepers, he runs a successful apiary and honey production business (Dancing Bee Gardens). He's clearly doing something right.

For new and intermediate beekeepers interested in this holistic approach to beekeeping, Natural Beekeeping is an encouraging and informative contribution to the topic.


*

WHY I READ THIS BOOK: I've used this book as a reference for my first couple years of beekeeping, after reading Conrad's columns in Bee Culture. Having probably read most of the book two or three times in various sequences, I thought it might be a good idea to read it start to finish. I should also add a note about the rating of this book, especially since I just finished my review of Kim Flottum's "Backyard Beekeeper" and rated that one higher.

Did I personally like "Natural Beekeeping"? Yes. Did I find it helpful and inspiring? Yes. Did I like it MORE than the "Backyard Beekeeper?" Yes. On the other hand, Conrad didn't fulfill his mission as well as Flottum. Thus the ding on the rating.

[Alfredo Salkeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

I exclusively read the section on pest and disease management, and just skimmed the rest. I learned a few interesting techniques, but I’m dubious of several. I couldn’t find research (peer-reviewed or otherwise) to back up many of Conrad’s recommendations. Examples: Feeding bees chamomile tea and mineral salts improves their immune system. Painting a hive a dark color may make it hotter and less hospitable to varroa. Wintergreen essential oil repels small hive beetles. These make sense in theory, and they may very well be true, but I wish there was evidence. Overall, I’d recommend this book to curious beekeepers but would remind them to be skeptical. Not just of “natural” IPM methods but of claims from any beekeeper! Myself included.

[Adam · Rating 1 out of 5]

Everything that makes hippie granola type nonsense unappealing to me is present in this most disappointing beekeeping book.

Mr. Conrad drones on unmercifully about the connection with a hive that can be gained by not wearing a gloves or a veil. Fine. But the useful information is sparse and poorly organized. Imagine a concise beekeeping book put in a blender with a copy of Robinson Crusoe and a Sierra Club calendar. Now lower your expectations.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really, this is becoming my model for how I want to care for my young hive. It's practical, down to earth advice is easy to follow.

The majority of the book is dedicated to the different pests a hive is likely to encounter and how to manage it without the use of hard chemicals. The options range from the on-going and passive to one-time and rather interesting. Instead of chemotherapy drugs, ROss Conrad uses essential oils, etc.

Of the bee books I've read, this one is rather scholarly in comparison. Footnotes sprinkle the pages, and there are only a few black and white photos. I wouldn't recommend this as a first bee book to read, but I would recommend it as the second.

I appreciate the way Ross Conrad celebrates efficient, clean, and organic bee keeping.

Some quotes I noted:
p. 117. "...the lesson we can learn from the drones is to consistently carry our own weight and always contribute in whatever way we can to our family and community, so that we are not looked upon as expendable dead weight during difficult times."

p. 223. "The honey bee is an endless source of fascination, variation, and contemplation. So much so that the claims that bees have been written about and studied more than any other insects on Earth are not at all far-fetched. The fact that the little hone bee manifests such incredible healing powers in the world -- healing that works on many levels, from plants to humans -- is a real blessing."

Ross Conrad's book makes me more grateful to share my living space with these amazing creatures.

[Mark Hartzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably a 5 star book for an experienced beekeeper, but for an utter novice like me, this is post graduate level stuff. I really loved the pictures, but what most impressed me was the author's deep love of the bees. I did not realize that while colony collapse disorder is at the top of the news, what is most problematic to the bees right now is a little mite named 'varroa jacobsoni'. Doing nothing to your hive and hoping the bees can take care of themselves is doomed to failure given these new, introduced pests. It is estimated that over 90% of the feral (wild) bee population has died within the past 10 years as a result of varroa mites.

I'm very impressed with Mr. Conrad's decision to point fingers at corporate greed for causing much of the problems with the current state of North American agriculture. Great stuff.

[melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate how Conrad presented a variety of different approaches and techniques, and it's left to the reader what will work for him or her. The only questionable part was his chapter on GMOs and GE plants; some of the information was a stretch, at best. He was generalizing something that required much more detail to explain. Conrad's beekeeping philosophy is closely aligned with my own, so this book was a really enjoyable read as a fourth-year beekeeper.

[Rich Thorne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Might have been a great book but I could not get past his personal opinions. Due to that quit reading at page 24 when he started on the bees inherent fear of fire and unions in the workplace.

[Logan Streondj · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a bit divided on this book, like while it is very thorough, it puts an aweful lot of emphasis on highly intensive bee keeping methods, and while he says they are natural, some of them include radioactive treatments like chemotherapy, it seems really insane to me. He spent perhaps just a few paragraphs on beekeeping without chemicals and other intensive care things. Reading this book makes it seem really overwhelmingly complex. I think one of the main issues is he tries to keep the bees alive much longer than their natural life expectancy and so gets many diseases of aging. Whereas I rather focus on breeding healthy bees with many generations. Anyhow will try to get a book on that instead.

[Marisol · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s some good information in this book but also gets too political sometimes. The author shares ideas and conclusions without any supporting research, just personal experience. For example, explaining about a mite trap he helped build. If it were really successful, wouldn’t other beekeepers be using it? I’ve never seen such an item yet he claims it’s as effective as trapping on drone brood. Organization of topics could be better. Still, there are some good ideas to be gleaned out.

[John Hobbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beekeeping very firmly on the "crunchy" side of things. This is an engaging read and Ross is exceedingly thorough. A few moments of proselytizing don't ruin the overall tone.

It's a bit out of date, especially around mite research, but that's to be expected over ten years.

You may not agree with everything in here, but you will certainly learn something and may want to try incorporating parts into your practice.

[bibliotekker Holman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to an alternative approach to beekeeping. This book pairs well with a video by the same author with the same title.

[Will G · Rating 3 out of 5]

The parts where he talks about bees are okay.

[Andy Herzfeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent resource to read and have on hand if you have bees or aspire to have bee hives. Bees are used in a variety of ways and we would be in trouble if we ever lost them. good resource.

[Mrs. Musrum's Mum Keleher · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has the most in depth information on how and why beekeepers should raise their bees organically, for the health of the bees and the ecosystem at large. Conrad has excellent information on promoting and preserving the health of the colony, both in healing and prevention. If you're new to beekeeping, you will need a guide for beginners as well, since he presumes some knowledge, and the information is not laid out for quick or easy reference. For example robbing is listed in the index on six different pages, but there is no one place where he concisely explains what robbing is and how to deal with it. But if you want to raise bees without regularly dosing them with chemicals, you will find this to be an essential book.

[Michael De Paola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic book detailing methods for organic beekeeping, pest control and hive maintenance. The author enlivens what might otherwise be a dry topic with little pearls of wisdom about our approach to the natural world. One that remains top of mind is his preference to not use protective equipment believing when he is vulnerable he is quickly reminded to approach the bees with gentleness and respect and that when no harm can come to someone using another living thing, a mentality of exploitation can soon develop. In spite of how much I enjoyed this book, I cannot give it a fifth star because it assumed a lot of knowledge of beekeeping that I didn't possess. Perhaps this is more my fault than the book's, but such is life.

[Steph Myers · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the emphasis is on Langstroth hives, I just skipped over most of the gear information and went straight to the pests, viruses and diseases sections. Conrad has a lot of good description of indicators and potential whys and whatfors for each. Poor little things. A lot can go wrong, but it seems like the treatments can be just as nasty as just lettting the hive alone.

Nice color photos help identify some of the issues as well such as chalk brood. While I prefer Les Crowder's and Christie Hemenway's books for top bar methods, I do like this as a reference for what can go wrong and what to try to keep everything organic.

[Vida · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every third bite of food humans eat is dependent on the work of the industrious honey bee. This is a "how to book," not for beginners. The author relates the state of bees to other aspects of raising crops and livestock. Honey bees are in trouble and we all need to pay attention. The book did scare me from beekeeping, it is a lot of diligent work. However, I may volunteer at the Chicago Honey Coop in the Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago.

[Brigid · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different approach than many other beekeeping books out there. This one covers all the basics, then gives you a number of organic approaches to try and work through disease and pests. A must read for those interested in organic beekeeping.
But just FYI, there are some parts of the book that transcend the factual and begin to be philsophical in nature.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one is good, a little light on the management steps. If you already have a basic knowledge of beekeeping, this book provides many alternatives to chemicals (leading to colony collapse disorder, in my opinion). Would have liked it to include more information about small cell beekeeping and top bar hives (although there is some info on these topics). Well worth the money.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natural Beekeeping is like most other intermediate how-to guides --- it's really about one man's experience. But if you're willing to assume that the author's way might not work for you, the book is very much worth mining for information about natural beekeeping.

[Chad Stembridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though with too much of an environmentalist/earth-worship slant, this is a great introduction to organic apiculture. It's possible to keep bees in natural ways that encourage the way bees were designed by God to work, without having to resort to chemicals or industrialized methods that are tearing down the honeybee's culture throughout the world.

[James Stout · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful and practical for anyone planning to become a natural beekeeper. However, it reads like stereo instructions in parts and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone not actually planning to use the information.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay read, but it really needs to be organized much more. The author tend to go on about things other than bee-related stuff and honestly, I am only wanting to know the best way to care for my hive...Need to keep looking for a better bee reference guide.

[m · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction! Some of the information in the book was difficult to visualize (especially if you are going into the text with no prior knowledge of hive anatomy), but this is supplemented by the lectures on the DVD and our dear friend the Internet Search Engine.

[Two Flower · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little preachy, but some great ideas.

[Famous · Rating 3 out of 5]

yup. i got bees. i'm kinda freaked out. i had to carry them up 5 flights of stairs and some started flying around outside the otherwise sealed up hive. it was a scene. cleo, when are you coming?

[Adam · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty basic information. More for general information than technical.

[Mackenzie Daley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this would serve as an intro to beekeeping based on the back cover and it was, in my opinion, too complicated for a beginner.

[John Bignell · Rating 5 out of 5]

After seen Ross speak, I had to have his book. Great natural way to keep bees with practical idea and with realistic goals. Enjoyed this book a lot.

[Ivan Campos · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful foray into the dynamic world of chemical free beekeeping. A must read for apiculturist considering incorporation organic practices in their apiary.