Certified Organic vs. Organically Managed

Certified Organic vs. Organically Managed

Sep 11, 2010 By Pat Cattermole

honey beesWe understand buying Certified Organic Beeswax is important to many customers. They want to make sure their candles come from organic sources and the bees are treated ethically. It’s hard to discern what is truly Certified Organic and what is simply labeled “organic” since many companies mislead customers.

When it comes to beeswax very stringent guidelines must be followed before a company can call their product Certified Organic. Beeswax falls under the umbrella of Apiculture (also known as beekeeping), which is defined as the maintenance of honeybees for the production of honey, beeswax, royal jelly, propolis and other bee related products. Canadian and US regulations for Apiculture are very similar. In Canada everything within 1.86 square Miles of the apiary must be non-treated organically produced plants or wild vegetation. In the US the radius is 4 square miles. The regulations also state:

  • Apiarists must use natural materials such as wood and metal for the hives
  • Apiarists cannot use synthetic materials for pest management or treat the bees with any antibiotics to prevent diseases
  • Apiarists must not clip the queens wings or destroy the colony annually
  • The bees must be left with an adequate supply of their own honey and pollen for them to survive the dormancy period

For a full list of regulations please visit the site below Our beeswax comes from Organically Managed hives. This means our beekeepers do not spray their crops with pesticides and herbicides but use natural techniques such as crop rotation to reduce the bee’s exposure to these chemicals during pollination. Our beekeepers assure us they love their bees and treat them ethically!

Source:
NSOB Organic Apiculture StandardsCertified


Published By Pat Cattermole
I had the good fortune to be hired at Honey Candles in the fall of 2004. Experience managing a small rural printing business and 15 years as an elected public school trustee has been a benefit as Honey Candles moves through the need for flexibility and the demands of rapidly changing natural products marketing. I am the Sales Manager and most likely to be the one answering the phone when you call. Social Media and blogging for Honey Candles has been a recent addition to my list of skills.

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