consider these frequently touted 'isms:
well, the bees have been taking care of themselves for millions of years......
or,
look at the feral colonies, they are getting by just fine without any intervention......
or,
i'm just letting them sort things out on their own.....
ect., ect.
these points of view are usually offered up as part of the (groan) treatment vs. (groan again) no treatment discussion.
i am interested in your opinion as to how much or how little man keeping bees in a hive affects the colony.
when compared to a feral colony (assume living in a tree), a kept colony (assume the hive gets inspected ocassionally and honey is harvested):
1. has a less insulated space to deal with
2. is torn apart from time to time
3. might have comb, brood, and/or resources taken from it
4. might have increased competition from more hives nearby
5. might have increased exposure to diseases and pests from more hives nearby
6. might have less than optimal nutrition if it is fed
7. might be moved from time to time
8. you get the idea
any thoughts?
well, the bees have been taking care of themselves for millions of years......
or,
look at the feral colonies, they are getting by just fine without any intervention......
or,
i'm just letting them sort things out on their own.....
ect., ect.
these points of view are usually offered up as part of the (groan) treatment vs. (groan again) no treatment discussion.
i am interested in your opinion as to how much or how little man keeping bees in a hive affects the colony.
when compared to a feral colony (assume living in a tree), a kept colony (assume the hive gets inspected ocassionally and honey is harvested):
1. has a less insulated space to deal with
2. is torn apart from time to time
3. might have comb, brood, and/or resources taken from it
4. might have increased competition from more hives nearby
5. might have increased exposure to diseases and pests from more hives nearby
6. might have less than optimal nutrition if it is fed
7. might be moved from time to time
8. you get the idea
any thoughts?