It has become more and more apparent over the last few decades that the worlds bees have been dying off faster than they ever have before. The drop in numbers was first noticed starting in the nineteen eighties and has continued its steady descent ever since. In 2006 the number of Western honeybee colonies in the United States dropped dramatically. The strange thing is, no dead bees were ever found. They seemed to be vanishing into thin air. One way people have been trying to help put an end to this disturbing phenomenon is to take up all natural beekeeping.

For a while now, farmers have actually been able to rent bees. The name "worker" has recently begun to take on a whole new meaning for these tiny artisans. The harvesters are now being harvested, loaded on to trucks, and being sent around the world to help farmers pollinate their crops, The very same farmers who may have had a hand in creating the conditions that led to the decline in the first place, are able to "hire" colonies from beekeepers.

Charging keepers for the services of something that's supposed to take place freely in nature is seen by some as a form of slavery. The beekeeper is the pimp, the bees' his hookers. This comparison may be a little over-the-top, and perhaps even a bit offensive to some, but it's probably the simplest way to describe what's going on. Right or wrong, no matter which side you happen to be on, it is a fact that now, it seems to be something that many of the world's farmers have to rely upon for the time being.

All natural beekeeping is something more and more beekeepers (both backyard and professional) are beginning to take a great interest in. It is believed that by giving these creatures the respect they deserve, colony collapse disorder may eventually be reversed. Doing it naturally means giving the girls the freedom to do what they do, without interfering with the innermost workings of their world.

The hive is still cared for, tended to, and looked after, but it's done from the outside. The hive is not opened unless absolutely necessary. Natural, of course, means no chemicals are sprayed in on or around the hive. This has been a common practice among modern-day beekeepers in order to keep the mites and other destructive parasites at bay. However, doing this compromises the health of the colony.

Immunizing them from bacterial infections and disease can be done using freshly grated onion mixed with sugar syrup once or twice per year. Proper ventilation is very important during the winter months when some of them die and fall onto the bottom of the board. This obstructs the flow of air, not to mention it's not healthy for the rest of the hive to be living with a bunch of decaying bodies. The simple solution is to remove the dead, by inserting a hook of some sort into the hive and scooping them out.

Bees are an imperative part of the eco-system. Without them, much of the Earth's plant-life would become extinct. This includes fruits, vegetables and nuts that humans eat as well as animals in the wild. Keeping a hive as close to its natural environment as possible could drastically improve its health, thus resulting in a come back of more wild bees in the future.

If you're interested in all natural beekeeping, you can purchase a colony online, or if you're extremely lucky, you might be able to find a colony in the wild. The more bees that are kept alive, healthy, and thriving, the better off the whole world will be.

Information on Beekeeping for Beginners can be found online or at your state Beekeepers Association.