permaculture

[Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>]

On Sun, Sep 29, 2013 at 11:53 AM, Guy McGrane wrote:
"As I've said before on this forum and been shouted at for it, the bee die
off is directly traceable to drugging our bees with harsh chemicals trying
to reduce mite populations etc.  These dopes over generations have destroyed
bees' immune systems and led to colony collapse disorder, a systemic problem
that can't be fixed with targeted drugs, antibiotics, dopes, etc.  Then the
added hit of herbicides and pesticides on most of the bees forage just
pushes them over the edge.  Its a tragedy and I sympathize with beekeepers
who are losing their bees and consumers who have to pay alot for
drug-contaminated honey, but the way to beat it is by outlawing the use of
all harsh chemicals in beehives, which after all have been proven to go
right into the honey, and you can taste it in many batches of honey that
i've got.
That has to go along with reducing or eliminating the rampant and wasteful
use of herbicides and pesticides.  Here I'm specifically speaking of
Roundup, which has been proved to change the floral composition of bacteria
in animals guts, including bees.  I see it used large scale for fence lines,
and yard weed control, especially by older people who feel they must control
"weeds" at any cost, and by professional landscapers who don't care about
longterm poisoning as long as they get a cheap manicured look."

Homeowner use of herbicide is far beyond what it was 30 years ago.
It is irresponsible, compulsive and indiscriminate, Walk into a garden
center, farm supply store or a large box  store and it is wall to wall
pesticides,
more now than in previous years. No wonder so much herbicide is sold and
used.

> Bees fly. They sum up the condition of all our land by covering it all and
> collecting from all places.  They are telling us a sad and alarming story
if
> we'll just listen.  There is an internet list group devoted to building up
> bees immune systems over generations, and using no dopes.  The people
report
> some success, even though they are working against very powerful
industrial
> forces, and irrational hysteria among beekeepers.  End of Rant.

"internet list group devoted to building up bees immune systems over
generations, and using no dopes"

What is the name and URL for this site. If they have public open archives
it would be useful to browse them
or just subscribe to the list.

<>

A writes:
a<furtherthanb4@yahoo.com>



"You didn't mention the feeding of sugar and even worse high fructose corn
syrup. A common saying among beekeepers is 'sugar is cheaper than honey'
and 'its my honey' both of which stem from a capitalistic and materialistic
point of view that doesn't prioritize natural health of anything. Sugar
dramatically changes the pH of the bees digestion making it very ill. This
is just one other way that beekeepers are as much to blame as the chemical
companies. Also the practice of grafting queens has a detrimental effect on
the overall royalty of the queen in multiple ways but allows for a decent
income. This crisis is an opportunity for change."
Adam

<>

Alternatives to conventional beekeeping methods includes Top Bar Beekeeping
and other simple, natural ways to keep them. Old out of print
agriculture and gardening books will have
much information on methods used in the past, pre-chemical ag era,
with illustrations. Maybe an older edition of
the Root book "ABC & XYZ of Beekeeping" will be useful.

Using permaculture design methods and developing permaculture systems
on your land will be of immediate and lasting value.

>From Koreen Brennan:
Observe and interact (deep surveys) [site inventories]
Capture and store energy (waste stream repurpose/recycle/redesign)
Creatively respond to change
Stack functions
Pattern to detail
<>
Create edge zones, recycle water on site with catchment ponds or pools
for aquatic wildlife habitat
- birds, bats, bees, all flying insects, frogs, snakes, toads,
dragonflies, other amphibians - grow
duckweed, cattails and water lillies to harvest for fertilizer and
mulch, livestock food.

I ran across these progressive bee groups recently:

Backwards Beekeepers
www.backwardsbeekeepers.com/‎
Sep 17, 2013 - Backwards Beekeeping bee removal, rescue, philosophy,
tips, and community.
Bee Rescue Hotline
Got unwanted bees, but you don't want to see them killed? Visit ...
FAQ
FAQ. Backwards Beekeepers Who are you guys? Can you send a ...
About
We're a group of organic, treatment-free beekeepers in Los Angeles ...
Mentoring
Want to become a beekeeper? One of the best ways to learn ...
Videos
Backwards Beekeepers TV: Swarm Capture For Beginners ...
Beekeeping Supply List
You'll need to invest in a bit of gear to get started with ...

natural beekeeping
www.biobees.com/‎
The Barefoot Beekeeper. natural beekeeping. "Not just a different
beehive, but a whole new way of looking at beekeeping". home how to
start top bar hive plans ...
Top Bar Beekeeping Forum
Natural beekeeping forum - sustainable, low-impact, top ...
How to start beekeeping - for free
how to start beekeeping - for free. "Not just a different beehive, but ...
Top bar hive plans
open source beekeeping - free plans to build your own top bar ...
Videos
natural beekeeping videos. "Not just a different beehive, but a ...
More results from biobees.com »
The Barefoot Beekeeper: P. J. Chandler: 9781409271147: Amazon ...
www.amazon.com › Books › Crafts, Hobbies & Home › Crafts & Hobbies‎
The Barefoot Beekeeper [P. J. Chandler] on Amazon.com. *FREE* super
saver shipping on qualifying offers. THIRD EDITION (2009) A
revolutionary book about ...
The Barefoot Beekeeper
biobees.blogspot.com/‎
Jan 9, 2013 - Need a good read about bees while yours are tucked up in
their cosy hives for the winter? I have just published a new book -
only about 23,000 ...