The basic rule of ecological beekeeping is: the needs, demands, and vitality of the bee colonies come first; the amount of honey produced is secondary. We often forget that the main profit from bees is not— as is commonly believed—healthy honey, but their pollination ability, which ensures our livelihood. The goal of an alternative approach to bees is mainly to understand how bees live, what they need to be healthy, and to allow them to express their natural reproductive instinct, namely swarming. Only then will they provide us with quality honey, not to mention that while foraging for food, they inadvertently pollinate plants without which humanity would perish. The authors, professional German beekeepers, show the way to responsibly care for their colonies so that they are strong, vital, and subsequently produce healthy honey. They return to traditional beekeeping methods, emphasize natural construction, and propagate their colonies through swarming. Their book is not a classic instructional manual, but a publication that shows the path one can take to achieve maximally natural beekeeping. And the foundation of this approach is primarily a transformation of one's thinking and relationship with bees.
