Can Bees Be Healthy Without Beekeepers ?
Honey bees are remarkable, they have been in existence for over 45million years, way before humans stepped onto the planet.
During that time, they have had to deal with major climate changes and cope with various plagues, pests and diseases. Their ability to adapt to these challenges is how they have survived thus far, and until the last 100 odd years or so, without any human intervention.
It remains an emotive issue amongst beekeepers today, whether to treat or not to treat their bees for these pests and diseases. The most common form of practice is to use either synthetic or naturally occurring chemical treatments.
One of the most disturbing results of habitually treating bees is that we are denying bees the opportunity to cope with the problem themselves, just like they have successfully done over millions of years. Artificially supporting the health of a colony may seem like a good idea at the time and full of good intent, but it’s an unsustainable practice, and the long-term effect on the species is not a good one.
Understandably feral and unmanaged colonies like those in a tree hive come under close scrutiny from those on the treatment side of the fence, but going on the evidence of the above, I don’t think it holds much credibility.
However the issue of treatment for disease is only one part of the equation.. Prevention instead of cure is something much more important and the type of habitat they occupy plays an important role in this approach. Click on the link below for more details