Man and World
How Spirit Works in Nature
GA 351
10 November 1923, Dornach
Translated by Steiner Online Library
8. Afterword to Mr. Müller’s Lecture on Bees
Dr. Steiner: As we have seen, it has already gotten so late today that we must now let our eurythmists, who have a great deal to do, come in here. I still have a few things to say to you, particularly about the factors that ensure sustained productivity in beekeeping. You may have already noticed from what Mr. Müller told you that there is, after all, a catch to the artificial breeding of queen bees. It might therefore be interesting to discuss precisely such practical matters and ask Mr. Müller whether he thinks very highly of this queen-rearing.
Mr. Müller replies: Yes, in a certain sense, he thinks highly of it. If you leave the colony to its own devices and do not pay attention to it, you may find that the colony withers away. The bad traits gradually gain the upper hand, and the good ones are lost.
Dr. Steiner: How long has artificial beekeeping been practiced?
Mr. Müller: It has been practiced for perhaps twelve to fifteen years.
Dr. Steiner: The point is this—and I’ll talk more about it next time—that honey production, the entire workload, and even the work capacity of the worker bees can be increased tremendously through artificial beekeeping. However, as Mr. Müller has already noted, the practice must not be made too rational or too commercial. Next time, we’ll take a closer look at beekeeping and see that what is an extraordinarily beneficial measure in the short term—and what forms the basis of today’s practices—may seem good, but that in a hundred years, the entire beekeeping industry would come to a halt if only artificially bred bees were used. Let’s see how something that is extraordinarily beneficial for a short time can develop in such a way that, over time, it leads to the entire endeavor being wiped out. And let us see how beekeeping, in particular, is extraordinarily interesting for gaining insight into the mysteries of nature—and specifically how what proves to be immensely fruitful on the one hand leads, on the other, to its own demise.
Thus, beekeepers may indeed rejoice immensely at the recent upswing in beekeeping; but this joy will not last a hundred years.