Nicola BradbearNicola BradbearAPIMONDIAPRESIDENT Standing Commission Beekeeping for Rural Development

Bees for Development, UKDIRECTOR

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1. The concepts - extensive and intensive beekeeping

2. Some examples3. The transition and implications for

bee health 4. Feasible ways for beekeepers to adopt

a more extensive approach

Fixed comb hives

Movable comb hives: • Frame hives• Top-bar

hives

Honey bee populations

The number of honey bee colonies in an environment - not the numbers of bees in an individual colony.

First response usually to recommend change to a ‘modern’ movable comb hive. Rationale is to enable:• More honey• Better quality honey• Keep bees healthy by

inspecting them• Keep colonies strong

by manipulating them• Allow to rear queens,

make splits

You are making the beekeeper change from an extensive beekeeping system to intensive beekeeping.

Extensive beekeeping

This system may seem unproductive and unreliable at the level of a single hive

Extensive beekeeping in tropical Africa

viewed as part of an extensive system they are:• efficient• low risk• cost-effective• And the bees are

healthy

Crucial characteristics in this step:1. Change in focus – from the whole honey bee

population, to individual colonies in hives2. Change in strategy - from minimal management, to

more intensive colony management.

Crucial characteristics in this step:3. Change in hive type – from low cost to expensive - each colony

must pay its way4. Hive type enables intensive colony management

AND Further ‘hidden’ consequences for bee health

Extensive – as in the wild (or similar)Intensive – industrial style

To increase honey production

An intensive beekeeper will manage each individual colony to increase yield per colony

An extensive beekeeper will make another hive

• John owns 120 local style hives • Not all hives occupied at any one time. • Accepts that honey bee colonies swarm

and also are mobile.• He harvests from only a proportion• Additional hives are cheap• Bees live, breed and evolve almost as in

the wild

Natural reproduction maintains genetic diversity

Survival of the fittest Not stressed (minimal

interference) Colonies swarm No human-caused

transmission of diseases

No suppression of honey bee diseases

Natural evolution of bees and pathogens is allowed to take place

Population is genetically fit and resilient

Local style systems may seem unproductive if considered at the level of a single hive Highly cost-effective at the population level: Total yields are satisfactory Hives are cheap - can afford

many Healthy bees – no costs for

inspections or medicines No residues – premium

product – honey & beeswax meet EU requirements

Beekeeping changed from:◦ beekeepers want swarmsto:◦ beekeepers do not want

swarms We changed our

beekeeping from a ‘population level’ activity, to a ‘box level’ activity

We changed from extensive to intensive

Selected colonies not harvested - used as breeder colonies to yield swarms

Weak colonies were harvested -would not become breeder colonies – positive selection pressure for healthy bees.

Breeder colonies also produced drones

Undermining natural reproduction and evolution

More manipulation = more stress

Re-used brood combs harbour disease

Intensive farming• Increased risk of

disastrous disease outbreaks

• Farmers work hard to maintain healthy individuals by controlling all factors – food, genetics, health, the animal’s whole environment.

• But the population has no self-resilience

• It is vulnerableOctober 11 21

Intensive beekeeping• Inspections, manipulations

and transportation raise stress • Prophylaxis used to maintain

health• Swapping frames and boxes –

disease transmission• Making increase through

queen rearing – implications for genetic diversity

• Natural reproduction constrained – swarm control, minimise drone numbers

• Breeding for yield October 11 22

© Lou Jian-Neng

Examples: 2011 - in the CaribbeanSome populations of bees becoming more tolerant to Varroa

• Not as a consequences of an intensive breeding programme

• But through natural decline of weak colonies and survival of strong colonies.

Adapting to Varroa is happening faster in Caribbean islands where beekeepers do not buy queens from Hawaii

OUR OPTIONS: Develop new bee medicines ? Controlled breeding programmes to breed

disease resistant bees ? Allow tolerance and resilience to evolve

gradually ?

What is feasible ? How to take a more extensive approach?

Adopting a more extensive approach

Take steps to sustain the wild honey bee population by allowing at least some colonies to swarm

October 11 25

Apiaries should have some colonies that are allowed to live naturally and to swarm

A nice example from Turkey!

Adopting a more extensive approach

• Take a step back from intensive methods and control

• Allow drone production

• Allow swarms• Use cheaper, simpler

hives – and have more

Taking a more extensive approachUsing hives that allow bees to live more naturally:• Warré hive• Oscar Perone hive• Box pile hive• Top-bar hive

Adopting a more extensive approach

Local populations allowed to adapt to local conditions, including the prevalent diseases

Beekeepers can encourage local adaptation by:

• Avoid bringing in genes from elsewhere

• Choose strong colonies for splitting and queen rearing

• Consider disease tolerance above gentleness and honey yield

• Take care not to over-medicate as this allows weak colonies to breed (queens or drones)

Adopting a more extensive approach• Most beekeeping communities

do not have resources or technical ability to ‘breed’ healthy bees

• A better approach to ‘breeding’ healthy bees is to allow the process of natural evolution.

• Best achieved through an extensive population approach -rather than an intensive colony approach.

• Beekeepers work with this process through making careful choices - within the reach of every beekeeper.

1. Extensive beekeeping is less stressful for bees

2. Reduced stress promotes health and resilience

3. Natural reproduction among a large population ensures genetic fitness

4. Genes and natural selection protect the population - not medicines

In summary

That is all for now! That is all for now!

nicolabradbear@beesfordevelopment.org

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© text and images Bees for Development