When it comes to owning bees, the art of beekeeping becomes one of ethics. Most of us love the work that bees do, but there is a difference between respecting the bee population and owning a bee population. If you intend to get into beekeeping, it would be wise to educate yourself on the importance of ethical beekeeping. First off, what is beekeeping? And why should you care about this process?
What is ethical beekeeping?
The art of ethical beekeeping revolves around ensuring that bee behavior is never irritated or limited. Bees have their routines, and many forms of beekeeping can limit, hamper, or outright stop those routines. That is why we highly recommend you practice ethical beekeeping. Ethical beekeeping involves ensuring that the bees are the focus, not the result of their production. Honey production and other bee-made items are often valuable, but you want to keep your beehive as happy as possible as you work. That is why ethical beekeeping should matter to you if you are serious about becoming a beekeeper. Selling honey for a living can be done in a safe manner for both the beekeeper and the bees themselves. With that in mind, you should undergo a bit of education about ethical beekeeping before starting your own hives. During the ethical beekeeping process, you will harvest the honey in a way that never hurts the bees, nor will your honey production cause the bees to live a life that feels unnatural, unhappy, or otherwise difficult for them.
Why does ethical beekeeping matter?
For one, you want your colony to be happy. If you are making your bees live a poor quality of life, their honey production will be out of kilter with what you would have wanted and expected. Having a clear focus on how important ethical practices are while caring for bees is crucial. That is why we highly recommend that you follow ethical beekeeping practices and take the care of your bees seriously. You will learn more about your bees if you spend more time building a bee-friendly environment. You will see their impressive work first-hand, giving you more insight, education, and respect for the work that bees complete every day. Bees are vital to our world, and ensuring they stay happy and healthy for longer is essential. As such, you should spend a bit more time looking into how you can help bees. Meaning focusing on proper harvesting times which are suitable for bees; it also means properly sizing and transporting hives, and avoiding the use of things like artificial insemination or other forms of mass production. Your bees are your lifeblood as a beekeeper. Investing in ethical beekeeping is a sensible decision from a moral position and a lifestyle perspective. It might make your job a little bit “tougher”, but the results and the overall mood of your colony make ethical beekeeping a worthwhile investment of your time.