Bees aren’t “in cages”: what they teach us about living with nature

December invites us to reflect on how we live with others—with people, yes, but also with animals. Debates about keeping animals in captivity often center on zoos: do they protect species and educate, or do they restrict natural behavior? While that discussion continues, there’s a millennia-old story of coexistence we love at OPRASHI—the story of humans and honeybees.

Zoos: a fair, short take

Pros

-Conservation for endangered species

-Education and public awareness

-Research that can help wild populations

Cons

-Limited space and natural behavior

-Stress vs. life in the wild

-Ethical questions about quality of life

Quality varies—from excellent modern parks to outdated facilities. But alongside that debate, there’s a very different model of human–animal relations where the animal is not an exhibit, but a partner in the ecosystem.

Why bees in a hive are not animals in a cage

Bees are not domesticated. They are wild pollinators living as a super-organism (the colony). In nature they choose tree hollows or rock cavities. A hive is essentially a technical shelter—a safe “home base” that does not confine their movement or core behaviors:

-daily foraging flights over kilometers,

-natural swarming (when practiced in that beekeeping style),

-building comb, thermoregulating, organizing workers, drones, and the queen.

Good beekeeping is care and partnership, not coercion. Humans protect the colony; the colony pollinates landscapes, sustaining food, seeds, and biodiversity. This quiet pact has lasted thousands of years and—unlike many human–animal relationships—expands nature’s freedom: without bees, flowering as we know it fades.

Ethical beekeeping (the OPRASHI standard)

-Respect natural cycles: gentle inspections, proper winter stores, minimal disturbance

-Pesticide-free forage and planting nectar-rich species

-Colony health before honey yield

-Transparency: our honey is tested for 574 pesticides in an accredited lab; we publish results because trust should be measurable.

In short: bees in hives live in relationship, not in captivity—and that relationship protects both bees and landscapes.

Advent kindness—also toward animals

This season, let’s remember kindness to the world of pollinators:

-Adopt a hive—for yourself, family, or your company.
You’ll support beekeepers, create safe, pesticide-free forage and strengthen local biodiversity.

-Gift honey with purpose—donate a portion or all of your harvest to those in need.
The OPRASHI community has already shared honey with children in SOS Children’s Villages—a jar can be more than a gift.

-Plant something that blooms—lavender, sage, phacelia, sunflowers… Small gardens make a big difference.

What bees can teach us this winter

-Community: a colony thrives because every worker knows its moment.

-Measure: bees take what they need—and leave nature room to renew.

-Quiet: while we celebrate, they winter calmly—a reminder that abundance needs balance.

If you’d like to adopt a hive (personal or corporate) or donate part/all of the honey for charity, we’re here to help with options and timelines for December/January.

📩 oprashi@oprashi.eu
www.oprashi.com/product/adopt-a-beehive/

Happy Advent—and thank you for choosing a form of coexistence that has bloomed for millennia.