20 Years of Commercial Beekeeping Without Treatments of Any Kind - Kirk Webster - Apimondia 2019

Kirk Webster on his many years in Vermont as a commercial treatment-free beekeeper.
Video generously provided by Angela Tollerson.
Conventional beekeeping practices are damaging to the bee population and new beekeepers are often pressured into keeping bees in conventional ways. Treatment-Free Beekeepers of which this channel is a part, is a project I started as a space for treatment-free beekeepers to gather and discuss methods for beekeeping as well as successes and failures, all within a context where they will never be criticized or berated for their choice not to dump pesticides into their hives. It is the only such space on the internet that I am aware of, and has become wildly popular. When I started it, I expected a couple hundred members who would have lots of fun but limited reach. Now it has over 32,000 members and is the third largest beekeeping group on Facebook. This channel is a resource for that effort.

[@scotmcpherson]

An excellent video demonstrating the success of a beekeeper who never used treatments from the very beginning. Thank you Kirk.

[@jeanniehiebert3169]

The bee yard kind of looks like an old timey cemetery. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.

[@suzanneguiho4882]

Thank you for this video. It was timely, for me !

[@TreatmentFreeBeekeeping]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[@4everhdt]

A very inspiring story with a great conclusion. Thank you!

[@suzanneguiho4882]

Who is Brother Adams. Has he wrote any books? Thank you for sharing your experience. This helps me a great deal.

[@TreatmentFreeBeekeeping]

Brother Adam was a monk in England who worked on Isle of Wight Disease (trachael mites) back in the 70s I think. He's long gone now, I believe he did write a book. His work resulted in the Buckfast Bee, a breed named after Buckfast Abbey where he lived.

[@suzanneguiho4882]

@@TreatmentFreeBeekeeping Thank You.

[@AmericansBee]

Im trying to understand what exactly you are trying to portray as the reason you dont use treatments? Do you count mites? Splits? Did i miss it? How did you achieve keeping strong colonies alive and not treat? How long do you keep queens alive?

[@TreatmentFreeBeekeeping]

We don't use treatments because they weaken the species. We don't count mites. We split but not for purposes of mite control. Once the weak colonies die out, all that's left is the strong. Queens are in charge of keeping their own selves alive.

[@morganrickard5032]

russian genetics.

[@TreatmentFreeBeekeeping]

@@morganrickard5032 There are many TF beekeepers who do not use "Russian genetics." Furthermore, as with all beekeeping "races" it is questionable if there really is such a thing after decades of outbreeding.

[@morganrickard5032]

@@TreatmentFreeBeekeeping im answering and speaking on whats said in video thats all. russians are a big part of this

[@TreatmentFreeBeekeeping]

@@morganrickard5032 Big part of what?

[@denniscrutchfield3395]

does kirk sell queens?

[@TreatmentFreeBeekeeping]

I'm not sure. He does not have an online presence, so you'd have to be local to Vermont. Furthermore, you would not want to ship bees elsewhere. Start by catching swarms or buying already treatment-free adapted bees from your area. Else, you will suffer from outbreeding depression and have little or slow success.

[@jimmyphadphom9247]

Didn’t watch the video so how does he treat the bees

[@TreatmentFreeBeekeeping]

He doesn't. Watch the video.

[@jimmyphadphom9247]

@@TreatmentFreeBeekeeping just watched the video and it’s awesome

[@TreatmentFreeBeekeeping]

@@jimmyphadphom9247 Outstanding! Glad you enjoyed it.