Centre for Ecological Apiculture

Good for bees and beekeepers, good for mankind and earth. Easy going beekeeping in the beginning of a new solar Economy  - without cruelty to animals, without frames, supers, artificial compounds in the combs, fossil energy and nuclear power

"The noble is animal friendly" Menzius (372 - 289 B.C.)
"What is necessary above all, is, that you are able to call a spade a spade" Konfuzius (551 - 479 v. Chr.)
 

1. Harmonious Development of the Bee-Colony Instead of Travelling With Bee colonies, Which is Also Common Among Organic Beekeepers, and Which is the Reason why Mainstream Organic Bee produce may be Contaminated with Antibiotics, Communication-System of Bee colonies, CCD, IBDS, Quarks & Co
2. Variety of Flowers, No Agro-Genetic Engineering and Other Noxious Pollutants
3. Swarming Impulse is Basis for Breeding - No Artificial Queen breeding
4. No Instrumental Insemination or Other Artificial Breeding Methods, No Wing Clipping of the Queen bee
5. Quality of beeproduce: No Ultra filtration, No Treatment With Heat During Honey harvest and Filling, No Artificial Honey Comb such as Cassettes Made of Wood or Plastic ("Bee-O-Pac-System" , "Ross-Rounds", "Hogg's-Cassettes", "Romanov")
6. Beehives Made of Natural Materials, No Feeding With Sugar, Syrup, Soymeal, Milkpowder or Functional Food With Artificially Added Vitamins, Proteins, No "Clearing Up"
7. Bees in Top-Bar Hives in the Centre for Ecological Apiculture Drawing Combs Out Naturally, No Plastic Foundation or Combs, No Artificial Wax, No Pressing-Method
8. Medicine Against Diseases Made of Compounds that Are Natural Ingredients of Honey
9. Bees Know All About their Specialties
10. On the Character of Bees
11. Bee produce certified according the Centre for Ecological Apiculture
12. The Advantage of Top-Bar Beekeeping According Standards of the Centre for Ecological Apiculture
 
 

1. Harmonious Development of the Bee-Colony

Making full use of travelling with bee colonies is very common among organic beekeepers; this is a reason why also organic bee produce can be contaminated with pesticides and antibiotics from time to time. More...

We don't need any further kind of industrial beekeeping methods but beekeeping considering the character of bee colonies - in the age of  "Solar Economy". Frame hive beekeeping and artificial breeding methods come from past age of fossil energy, which is well known for its overexploitation. "Solar Economy" means learning from Goethe and Beuys; concerning the bees it means no yield increase by frame- and skyscraperhive- beekeeping, plastic combs, foundation and syrup-feeding (Api Review letters 2007, 6, Nr. 195).

An "industrial" beekeeping as it is also common among organic apiaries leads in connection with high insecticide treatments and genetically modified pollen to strange diseases of the honeybee worldwide. The communication system of the beecolony collapses. So called "Colony Collapse Disorder" and IBDS (Idiopathic Brood Disease Syndrome) are the results. On top of that industrial beekeeping help spreading out new parasites such as small hive beetle which is able to ruin the whole apiary.   (Apicultural Review letters, vol. 6, No. 116-121 and 10, No. 601).

Web-TV and linklist on topic Colony Collapse Disorder
Apimondia Conference in Organic Beekeeping

Further advising: courses in organic / ecological top bar hive beekeepingandOrganic / natural top bar hive beekeeping supplies

Organic / ecological top bar hive beekeeping - Further reading and references

Sign up for Membership in  Natural Apitherapy Council, Club of Ecological Beekeepers or support honeybees from cruelty-free beekeeping!
 

2. Variety of Flowers, No Agro-Genetic Engineering and Other Noxious Pollutants

Further reading:
Dangerous Toxins From Genetically Modified Plants Found in Women and Foetuses - Links to allergies, auto-immune disease, and other disorders Natural Bt is dangerous; Bt cotton linked to human allergies, animal deaths; Living pesticide factories inside us? Science Review Letters 2011, Vol.10, # 400

The full story of an until now legal poison: Roundup (glyphosate) - Monsanto's Roundup Triggers Over 40 Plant Diseases and Endangers Human and Animal Health. Alzheimer, Parkinson, Cancer Science Review Letters 2011, Vol.10, # 381

Toxic food - not only for cows, sheeps and honeybees - made by Monsanto, Bayer, BASF & Co Api Review Letters 2009, Vol.8, # 351

The five main GM foods are soy, corn, cotton, canola, and sugar beets. Products made of these GM foods such as sugar, high fructose syrup, lecithin are more toxic than expected. Even FDA and EFSA gave wrong testimonials over years; they failed together with many leading politicians Science Review Letters 2009, Vol.8, # 309

GM-crop-Desaster: The US government payments to farmers are up by $3 to $5 billion annually due to GM crops.  growers have only been kept afloat by the huge jump in subsidies. genetic pollution caused by today’s GMOs could theoretically outlast the effects of global warming and nuclear waste. Genetically modified sugar beets. Even small amounts of contaminants can be quite dangerous. A brand killed about 100 Americans and caused 5,000-10,000 to become sick or permanently disabled. Science Review Letters 2008, Vol.7, # 202

Biosafety?Unscientific assumptions the basis of approvals? - blatant propaganda exercise stands validated as exemplary science - Toxic gm foods could have been approved. Science Review Letters 2007, Vol.6, # 182

Documentation of US-resistance against genetically modified (GM) foods, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and review of new scientific research on dangerous and life threatening side effects of modern Biotechnology in: Science Review Letters (2007, Vol.6, #156-159)

Severe side effects of agro-genetic engineering on honeybees and other beneficial insects. See Centre for Foodsafety and grassroot movement "civil courage" in Germany:

Risks of genetically modified crops on honeybees
http://www.zivilcourage-miesbach.de/Bienen.html
 
 

3. Swarming Impulse is Basis for Breeding - No Artificial Queen Breeding

Did you know that most beekeepers, also from certified organic apiaries (according EU-organic rule, USDA organic program, standards of most organic associations) let their queens grow up from worker larvae ("grafting") although it is senseless from the point of view of the spirit of the beecolony, for which it is self evident that a queen is only a good queen which has grown up from the beginning in a special round queen cell with special queen fodder (royal jelly)?
 
 

4. No Instrumental Insemination or Other Artificial Breeding Methods, No Wing Clipping of the Queen Bee

Did you know that in many cases beekeepers, also from certified organic apiaries (according EU-organic rule, USDA organic program, standards of most organic associations) do not let the queens fly out to their traditional nuptial flight, but carry out artificial insemination of the queen instead? To prevent the queen flying out they clip the wings of the queen. Some beekeepers really think to be on the path of nature by fixing the queen in a special way on the instrument.
 
 

5. Honey Quality: No Ultra filtration, No Treatment With Heat During Harvest and Filling

Since August 2003 ultra filtration is allowed also in the EU. What does it mean? With the help of this technique it is legal to filter out typical honey compounds - a technique which leads to honey falsification very easily. According standards of Centre for Ecological Apiculture neither this technique nor heat treatment during harvest and filling is allowed.

Did you know that honey comb is a produce to which neither mechanical (extraction, stirring procedure) nor heat treatment ("melting") has occurred and which consequently is an product of especially high quality?

Thus there is an increase in popularity regarding honey comb. But always again checking turns out that in parts 90 percent of the honey comb is being criticized. For the most part it is imported honey which contains brood and foundation (sometimes made of paraffin) or is contaminated with antibiotics and beerepellents. On top of that, in many cases you find artificial honey comb, for instance Cassettes made of wood or plastic ("Bee-O-Pac-System" , "Ross-Rounds", "Hogg's-Cassettes", "Romanov") More...

Not only milk powder and glycerine (used for cough syrup or mixtures) from China is poisoned, but als bee produce like propolis, royal jelly, perga, beeswax, honey, who are sometimes being imported from third countries. More than 500 People were already killed. (see also chapter 9)

But also honey comb from Germany is concerned, if it is not produced according our standards. According EU-Rules even artificial foundation in honey comb is allowed.

Thus, where may I buy pure honey comb? More information and  sources of supply for pure comb in the comb with natural crystallisation (not heated) see below or under phone: 0049 5652 917899
 

6. Beehives Made of Natural Materials, No Feeding With Sugar, Syrup, Soymeal, Milkpowder or Functional Food With Artificially Added Vitamines, No "Clearing Up"

either of straw or of wood or clay.

Not allowed according standards of Centre for Ecological Apiculture are:
Hives, frames, foundations and combs made of plastic,
wired frames,
artificially created beewax foundation,
artificial wax foundation,
fibrocement hives (cement and asbestos),
polypropylene hives with ultraviolet-resistant stabilizers,
polystyrene, aluminium sheets, facing of aluminium on the interior (to prevent bees from chewing soft types of plastic),
rotating frame hives,
"skyscraperhives",
hives, which divide the colony in fragments (magazines)

No artificial feeding with sugar (from Roundup ready sugar beets), syrup (from genetically modified corn or wheat), soy meal, milkpowder or functional food, no "clearing up"

Did you know that most animals such as cows, pigs, hens etc are being fed with Roundup ready soy? As Roundup ready soy contains glyphosate, it is supposed to be one of the most toxic food for human beings and animals. The same apply to Roundup ready sugar beets. Beekeepers are being using it for feeding their bees.

Did you know that most beekeepers take away the complete honey reserves of the bee colonies - also the honey from the border of the combs in the brood area? They call it the "clearing up"!

Did you know that feeding bees with sugar means feeding with plastik? More...

In contrast to industrial beekeeping and organic beekeeping, feeding sugarmixtures and syrup in apiaries certified by the Centre for Ecological Apiculture, is not allowed. There is left enough honey in the bee colonies for wintertime.

sugarmixtures and syrup used by the majority of beekeepers as winterfodder for bee colonies, contain Glycosesyrupe, which is made from genetically modified raw materials. You can find it in all sweets, marzipan inclusive and even in honey.

By the way, many beekeepers - also those from organic apiaries - are feeding not only sugar syrup but also soymeal, milkpowder and functional food with artificially added vitamins, proteins, iron and so on. Residuals of sugarfeeding as well as residuals of soymeal and milkpowder can be found in bee produce (honey, beesbread, propolis); it doesn't make any difference if they are contaminated with melamin or genetically engineered ingredients or not.

Thus beekeepers - although fighting against genetic engineering - are main supporters of genetic engineering because they use inexpensive sugar syrup and soy meal! On top of that they weaken their colonies by using artificial fodder. More...

On top of that you can find already genetically modified sugar beets, which accidantly may have joined the human food chain. More...
_____________________________
Further reading and references:
Pollmer, U. et al. 2007: Lexikon der populären Ernährungsirrtümer. Frankfurt/Main, Eichborn
Thiele, M. 2008: "junk produce" also in Bio-Supermarkets? News from the "Lemon-Markets". Science Review Letters 2008, 7, # 256
Thiele, M. 2009: What does "clearing up" mean?. Artificial feeding of honeybees with sugar syrup, sugar, Soymeal and milkpowder, as it is common among the majority of beekeepers, does not only support Biotech-Industry. Api Review Letters 2009, 8, # 327
Centre for Ecological Apiculture 2009: Classes on how to become a topbar-beekeeper of the Centre for Ecological Apiculture. Natural beekeeping without frames, sugarfeeding, cruelty to animals. Api Review Letters 2009, 8, # 325
Thiele, M. 2012: Gentechnik in Fleisch, Milchprodukten und Honig. Honig mit der Aufschrift: "Ohne Gentechnik" enthält Pollen von gentechnisch verändertem Roundup ready Soja. Api Review Letters 2012, 11, Nr. 632 und Dbj 2012, 20, p. 55
Centre for Ecological Apiculture 2023: Qualität der Bienenprodukte (Quality of Beeproduce) Pressemitteilung
 
 

7. Bees in the Centre for Ecological Apiculture Drawing Combs out Naturally, No Plastic Foundation or Combs, No Artificial Wax Like Paraffin, No Pressing Method

Did you know that the Centre for Ecological Beekeeping is the only Institution in Germany where bees are being solely kept in top-bar-hives and allowed to draw out their combs themselves without frames, in contrast to bees from beekeepers who need to get along with plastic combs in plastic hives, artificial wax or foundation and wire or even need to live in so called "skyscaperhives" together with up to six (!) queens per colony  - which is practiced in anti-ecological technique of so called "Pressing-method"? (Api review letters 2006, 5, 70)

Therefore our Standards are eligible to produce apitherapeutic products like honey comb and honey comb with beebread (especially for those who have an allergy to pollen), as well as 100 % beeswax from naturally built combs (there is no wax-mill who is selling beewax in that quality)

Did you know that the Centre for Ecological Beekeeping is the only Institution worldwide who offers Training for becoming a certified apiary of centre for ecological Apiculture? How does it work? More...
 
 

8. Medicine Against Diseases Made of Compounds that are Natural Ingredients of Honey

Beekeepers of Centre for Ecological Apiculture normally don't need medicine against Varroa mites. How does it work? For hobbyists and sideliners: distance course and practical on day information courses in the Centre for Ecological Apiculture: join classes on natural / ecological beekeeping in top-bar-hives for beginners, gardeners and backyard beekeepers

Please notice: Common frame hive beekeeping and travelling with bee colonies - as it is also common among organic beekeepers - is not suitable for obtaining that quality of bee produce which is needed for apitherapeutical bee produce

Professional beekeepers may join our Training in the Centre for Ecological Apiculture. It is also possible to purchase Top-bar-hives constructed according standards of Centre for Ecological Apiculture.
 
 

9. Bees Know All About their Specialties

If you are looking for a certified member apiary in your surrounding, please contact Centre for Ecological Apiculture (adress see below) or see Listing of bee produce

Everybody is able to support a "long lasting fertility in beekeeping" in contrast to success in artificial beekeeping for a short time. Become a member or support cruelty-free beekeeping!

Did you know that even organic honey is being heated before filling? Did you know that food (meat from pork, poultry, rabbit) and even honey imported from China is sometimes so contaminated with ecologically harmful chemicals and animal medicine like Chloramphenicol (destroys bone marrow of children), that the EU needs to stop the import of animal produce, especially honey from time to time?

According to new scientific research, agriculture and environment contaminate beewax only little. The apiary itself is the source for contamination. One needs to attach the greatest importance to varroa exterminators, and waxmoth exterminator Paradichlorbenzol (PDCB). A heightened Coumaphos-concentration in wax can be even toxic to queens. Bad side effects on brood and health of bees can't be excluded also by lower wax concentrations. The accumulation of Varroazides in combwax leads to a kind of „long-term-therapy" of Varroa, which can cause resistances.

For the time being there is no uncontaminated beewax on the European market. Such beewax needs to be imported from Africa - Only in the centre for ecological Apiculture and its certified member apiaries uncontaminated beewax is being produced, as these apiaries work completely without foundations and the beewax is harvested from combs drawn out naturally by the bees. (Apicultural Review Letters 2006, 5, #32)
 

10. On the Character of Bees

For him it was a matter of "long lasting fertility in beekeeping" in contrast to success in artificial beekeeping for a short time. As generally in agriculture, also here apply that it is something different if one gives free play to nature and only bring it on correct tracks or if one carry something artificially in this matter.

You can find interesting comparisons in these lectures, for instance worker bees and bloodcells, drones and nerve cells, bees and wasps (bees as in ancient times breeded wasps); he tells us about the importance of insects in nature (more important than pollination is the distribution of natural formic acid); about swarming, which is a crucial need of the bees (linked to bee poison and three infinitesimal eyes on the forehead, about which science didn't find out the meaning until now - but it's not surprisingly as for the time being only 1 % of the bee's behavioral repertoire has been dicovered and documented by scientists)

He speaks about the relation between brain and formic acid (which can be found in honey and bee poison), and if there is not enough formic acid in the human body, soul and spirit were notable to be kept together.

In other words: Everybody should be very much interested in beekeeping, "because more than one thinks human life depends on beekeeping." (Apicultural Review letters 2005, 4, #1)
 
 

11. The Advantage of Top-Bar Beekeeping According Standards of the Centre for Ecological Apiculture

In Api Reviev Letters again and again it is reported about mainstream organic / natural beekeeping and if these kind of beekeepers see the point regarding beekeeping considering the character of bees. At least they are good in creating new words: they are speaking about "Organic beekeeping society", "thehealingpath ", "gaiabees", "biohoney", "biobees" „Professional organic beekeeping competence", "Demeter-beekeeping", „Beekeeping according specific species, but easy to handle", „Broodnest as a oneness" and even bee-friendly beekeeping.

A so called "organic" or "natural" beekeeper tells for instance: „organic beekeeping is resting on three pillars, who stand together in an inner connection". One pillar is: „it is good practice in beekeeping to consider the Broodnest as a oneness". You may ask, how many follies need to be quartered in a head until this one may find a place? Neither non-organic nor organic / natural beekeepers consider the broodnest to be a oneness. It’s a pity but it’s a fact. The usage of wired frames, foundation wax, smoke is generally allowed - also by Demeter and Soil Association. What does it mean? Wired pieces of wood together with artificially moulded wax foundations is given to the colony. Only Demeter tries to work with large frames which are completely nonpractical and not solely beefriendly. Demeter lays down in their standards that „Combs and brood need to grow according the development of the colony by combs drawn out naturally, without being disturbed by frames", nevertheless the combs do not end naturally, they are enclosed in wire and frames. Even Warré hives cannot be called beefriendly. [4]

More according beekeeping considering the character of bees [1] can be called the building of natural combs for instance in a straw hive or in a Top-bar-hive (movable combs), as it can be found in apiaries certified according standards of Centre for Ecological Apiculture. [2] [3][4][5]
_______________________________
[1] Unfortunately there are many organic beekeeping associations, organisations and authors who speak about beekeeping according the needs of bee colonies, about natural and holistic beekeeping but who actually carry out mainstream organic or even artificial beekeeping methods
[2] Centre for Ecological Apiculture 2008: Why do the bees swarm? Apicultural Review Letters 2008, 7, # 239.
[3] Apicultural Review letters 2005, 4, #.2-4
[4] Thiele, M. 2009: Bienenkiste, Warré Hive or Top Bar Hive ? Is the Warré hive really so simple, sustainable and bee-friendly as maintained by their proponents? Beekeeping according Warré or standards of Centre for ecological Apiculture? Apicultural Review Letters 8, # 386, 379
[5] Thiele, M. 2023: Bienenkiste, Warré or Top bar hive? - Take which-ever you like best, but which is the best for beginners, gardeners and backyard beekeepers? Press release
 
 

12. Bee Produce certified according the standards of the Centre for Ecological Apiculture

For grade A bee produce certification we offer a two semester training in the Centre for Ecological Apiculture.