Biodynamic beekeeping

What is biodynamic beekeeping?

Biodynamic beekeeping carries the founding idea of biodynamics over into the keeping of bees: the colony is understood as a single organism, comparable to the farm organism, whose natural life processes should be disturbed as little as possible. In 1923 Rudolf Steiner gave a series of lectures on the nature of bees in which he warned against a form of beekeeping aimed one-sidedly at yield and breeding, and foresaw long-term consequences for bee health. These lectures count as one starting point of beekeeping true to the nature of the bee.

Practice true to the bee

What marks it out are practices that follow the colony’s natural behaviour rather than steering it as far as possible:

Natural comb — the bees build their comb themselves rather than on industrially pre-stamped foundation; the size and shape of the comb is left to the colony. Swarm increase — increase happens through the natural urge to swarm rather than through artificial queen rearing and making up nuclei. Restraint in intervention — no clipping of the queen’s wings, handling the colony as gently as possible, no routine chemistry. Demeter beekeeping has its own standards that make these principles binding. Beekeeping true to the nature of the bee is today established as a current beyond the anthroposophical world as well.

Winter feed and biodynamic herbs

A connection to the world of the preparations shows in the winter feed. Where feed is added for the winter, dried biodynamic medicinal herbs can be put into the feed syrup — as what is called winter feed tea. The plants used are the same ones that play a part in the compost preparations: yarrow, chamomile, dandelion and valerian, as well as stinging nettle, oak bark and horsetail. Beyond that, the most important “preparation” for bees is a good supply of forage — planting flowers rich in nectar and pollen creates the colony’s basis of life.