To everyone I wish a very happy and healthy year to you and your loved ones (including your bees). May your bees survive the cold of winter, develop a resistance to Varroa and other pests, be free of all diseases and produce buckets of honey.
Please, don't drink and fly!
Awww...So Cute :-). Happy New Year. I have a question. When a honey bottle says that it's organic, what does it really mean? How can the bee-producer ensure that the bees only visited organically grown flowers? Please let me know. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteGood question. The simple answer is that virtually no beekeeper can state 100% that they have organic honey. Bees have been known to forage for 10 kilometers (6 miles) or more during periods of dearth so unless you live in a completely remote area and are absolutely aware of every agrochemical used in that area you can not state that your honey is organic. There are organic standards that vary according to the jurisdiction (i.e 5 km or 3 mile agrochemical free radius and/or periodic testing) but even these can not ensure a true organic state and in addition most conventional starter beeswax used in hives has some residue of pesticides. On the positive side the beekeeper can be an "organic beekeeper" (most beekeepers are not) by not using agrochemical products or antibiotics in the hives to control pests and diseases and if there is sufficient organic forage within a close proximity the honey is more likely to be more organic in nature. My best advice is to get to know your local "organic" beekeeper and ask them about the plants their bees forage on. You can usually find beekeepers at your local farmer's market.
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