The Bee Nature laboratory has always made a point of honor in the choice of its
raw materials. It is therefore quite natural that the use of organic and fair trade honey was imposed. Honey is the main ingredient of all Bee Nature products.
The use of honey from organic beekeeping is essential for Bee Nature.
What is organic beekeeping?
This beekeeping practice is respectful of bees and their way of life. To ensure a healthy production, many controls are carried out and the specifications are very precise. Organic beekeeping encourages the use of natural remedies against diseases that can affect the colony, synthetic molecules are strictly prohibited.
The requirements of this beekeeping mainly concern 4 main points:
- The hive
- The bees
- The harvest
- The beekeeper
The hive
The hive is the only element brought by the beekeeper to make honey. The hive must be mainly made of natural materials, most often of wood.
The location of the hive is also a very important element. To preserve the quality of the honey, the foraging areas are very delimited. The hive must be placed within a radius of 3km around nectariferous plants from organic farming or growing spontaneously. It must also be at least 12km away from polluted areas or areas containing GMOs.
The bees
The bee is essential in the making of honey, it is important to take care of it.
Honey is the only source of consumption that the bee uses during its hibernation. Beekeepers always leave enough honey for their bees to get through the winter.
The development of beekeeping helps to limit as much as possible the decline of bees, which are essential to biodiversity and the survival of ecosystems through their role as pollinators. Moreover, honeybees and solitary bees (the majority of species present) know how to live in perfect harmony. In a rich and balanced environment, they are even complementary.
The harvest
The harvest is essential for the quality of the honey.
It takes place mainly in spring, the beekeeper collects the surplus of honey from the winter. He only harvests what is left over.
When harvesting, the beekeeper takes care to take only the upper part of the hive, containing only honey. The body of the hive contains not only honey but also larvae and the queen is left behind to keep the colony going.
To proceed with the harvest, the use of chemical repellents, dangerous for the bee, is totally forbidden. The beekeeper ideally uses cold smoke sparingly to calm the bees. Other, more modern means are also used such as mechanical repellents which allow the bees to remain in the hive during the harvest.
The beekeeper
Man intervenes minimally in the life of the hive.
The beekeeper advocating organic beekeeping follows a certain philosophy:
- To respect the biology and the natural behaviors of the insect
- To feel responsible for the bees
- Respect the ethics of fair exchange: the honey belongs to the bees and not to
the beekeeper who only provides the hive - Preserve the environment by protecting biodiversity, forests,
melliferous and nectariferous plants. This biodiversity is the main source of pollen and nectar reserves
for the bees.
Organic beekeeping is not a simple and odious animal exploitation. It is an association between humans and bees. It is extremely rare to find a beekeeper who does not love his bees, does not invest in saving them or does not respect them.
The bee offers us its most precious treasure and in exchange, Man offers it housing, care and protection in order to fight against its disappearance. Thus, both parties benefit. Such an association is, in biology, called mutualism. This expression is much more appropriate than the word exploitation.
The hive and the bees bring us many miraculous products, it is important to respect them and to take care of them. Bee Nature knows this and does everything possible to preserve them.
