2006-12-11 14:01:10 · 17 answers · asked by Daniel S 1 in Food & Drink ➔ Vegetarian & Vegan
YES!
The bees are smoked, this makes them gorge on honey, which makes them lethargic & less responsive. They do this so that the bee keeper does not get stung. Whilst they are less responsive many get crushed in accessing the honey - through being crushed by frames or stepped on. The honey is also extracted using a wooden tool and bees are crushed by this as well.
A lot of bees are killed through transport. Many die waiting to be collected.
Honey bees also threaten the diversity of natural species of bees, honey-eating birds and other creatures.
Also, unlike stated above, more than just the surplus honey is taken. The bees are fed on glucose for the winter, if they are kept alive at all. 10 to 20 percent of colonies are lost over the winter, some accidently, some are killed because it is cheaper to get new bees than to feed them for that unproductive time.
Although a few bee keepers may try to not harm their bees, the general honey from your supermarket probably involved the death of some bees. Reseach the individual brand, email or call them, to find out about their practices.
2006-12-11 14:51:52 · answer #1 · answered by eauxquet 2 · 1⤊ 3⤋
This is the one issue that I stumble on. I'm a strict vegetarian as I avoid meat, fish, eggs and milk but I still have honey as I never thought that the bees were harmed in anyway when the honey is removed - after all bees automatically make honey! I'll have to go and do some research on it now.
2006-12-11 21:15:55 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They make lots of honey to eat for the winter, more than they need to survive. When a beekeeper takes out the honey filled parts of the hive no bees are hurt.
It is not like milking a cow. The honey is already outside the insects.
2006-12-11 14:05:14 · answer #3 · answered by Rich Z 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Bees are not intentionally harm while harvesting the honey. Are some harm, in all likelihood. as long as a % of the honey is left the hive would be super over the iciness. If taking honey harm the hives there does not be many bees, if any. human beings are not the only animal that seeks out hives for the honey, and different animals are lots greater violent in getting it.
2016-10-18 03:39:24 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I suppose that would completely depend on what source you get them from. Bees would make the honey whether or not we ate it, so I'd say if it was all done humanely, then I think it's fine. But I'm just a vegetarian, not a vegan - I had a friend who was a vegan and he wouldn't touch honey.
2006-12-12 08:05:53 · answer #5 · answered by dawn chaser 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't think so. People raise bees just to harvest the honey. They scrape the combs when they're full, and the bees make more honey and fill them again. I don't think a bee lives very long anyway, and they are constantly reproducing.
2006-12-11 14:05:19 · answer #6 · answered by BB 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No, the beekeeper is very careful in harvesting the honey crop. Dead or injuried bees will not make more honey in the future.
2006-12-12 02:22:08 · answer #7 · answered by Celtic Tejas 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, bees are not injured when honey is removed from the hive. the common method is to smoke the hive, the smoke both drives the bees away and makes them sluggish, less likely to sting. the honey comb is then removed, and the bees can return and start all over again.
2006-12-11 14:04:55 · answer #8 · answered by Renee B 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
we have bees and no, the bees are not harmed. the smoke is like the anestetic given to humans.... it just tranquilises them.
the honey filled racks are removed, and new ones are replaced so that the honey can be extracted. no bees are crushed, hurt or killed in this method.
2006-12-11 18:55:30 · answer #9 · answered by nadezdha87 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
A few do, but the vast majority are just fine...If the beekeeper killed his bees, he would have no more honey.
2006-12-11 14:05:51 · answer #10 · answered by damndirtyape212 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋