I have been busy with getting a power point presentation ready to further explain biodynamic beekeeping, and so far, so good! I hope to have time to post it on this blogger page I have here, but being an apprentice on a full time farm leaves me little down time, or precious down time I should say. I've finished constructing 2 Warré hives and again, when I get a chance, I'll post those photos here too! This post is to let you know that I'll be on here more often now!

In lecture 2 of beekeeping in Rudolf Steiner's lectures, he talks about the direct influence of the sun and the bees. A great link to how the Sun can influence bees.

The worker bees needs 21 days to fully develop. This is about the same time the Sun needs to revolve around its own axis. By the time the worker bee is fully developed, she has experienced all that the Sun can give. She is a child of the Sun. This is why she feels so devoted to the Queen because they belong to the same Sun influence.

The drone, takes more than 21 days to fully develop. It has past the full revolution of the Sun. It therefore has more earthly influences than Sun. But...the power of fertilisation comes from the Earth.

The Queen bee, needs only 16 days to fully develop. She also would have this Sun influence in her, and since she didn't pass through the full revolution of the Sun, she remains always a creature of the Sun.

During the nuptual flight, The Queen bee flies as far as possible towards the Sun to which she belongs and that drone alone which can overcome the earthly forces- only that drone which can fly the highest is able to fecundate the Queen up there in the air.

The worker bee has 3 little eyes in the middle of its head in which they do not see with. When the Queen bee comes back from her nuptual flight, she has come closest to the Sun, she is a creature of the Sun. Something spectacular happens. These little eyes open up and show the worker bees the inner blood of the Bee, the external workings of the Sun. They are so dazzled by this, it is as though they were to look at the Sun itself. They say it is too much for them, and this is the reason why they swarm. WOW! You have to get into these lectures, they are quite fascinating!

Introduction

Biodynamic beekeeping is about getting back to the roots. Working WITH nature. Learning, observing what the bees want and need. You can learn so much about life and yourself by having a couple of beehives. This blog will mostly talk about biodynamics and not really get into actual beekeeping. I assume most of you reading this are fellow beekeepers or know the basics on how to keep bees.

Biodynamic beekeeping is a simple approach. It does not allow queen rearing or the introduction of wax in the hives. It leaves the bees do their own work on the hive. They encourage it, in fact!

Observe and you will see. Biodynamics recognizes the influence of the sun, moon and planets in agriculture. The bees are very much related to what happens in the cosmos! Observation is key.

Rudolf Steiner said in his first beekeeping lecture "You see, when one realises that the bees receive very many influences from the starry worlds, one sees also how they can pass on to man what is fitted for him. All that is living, when it is rightly combined, works rightly together. When one stands before a hive of bees one should say quite solemny to oneself: "By way of the bee-hive the whole Cosmos enters man and makes him strong and able"

Biodynamic beekeeping

This is the first blog I write so bare with me. My main goal is to blog about bees! Biodynamic bees, of course! It means to see the bees and their place in this world. What role we humans have with them, and how we should go about keeping them, in a sustainable way. I want to share all that I've read about biodynamic beekeeping through articles and books not found in North America.

I guess the first step is to talk about biodynamics.