Aside from the totally leave 'em to it methods of Natural Beekeeping, there are other, in-between methods of organic beekeeping, where more natural and less invasive methods are used in traditional frame hives. Ross Conrad's book "Natural Beekeeping: Organic Approaches to Modern Apiculture describes methods of organic beekeeping in frame hives. He says "many of the modern organic hive management techniques that are emerging are not all that different from those of conventional apiculture. This is simply because the basics of honey bee biology and behaviour must still be observed. In fact to be succesful at organic beekeeping, it is even more impotant to learn to work with the natural biological processes and instinctive behaviours of the bees. Whereas conventinal apiculture tends to force the beekeeper's will upon the hive organism, the organic beekeeper is more inclined to work with the colony in partnership rather than in domination." It is this attitude of mind that makes the difference between a beekeeper and a bee-exploiter.
The Rose Hive Method, outlined by Tim Rowe in his book of the same name, is slightly further along the Natural Beekeeping spectrum, using a hive with boxes designed to fit together with a National Hive, but to allow for conversion from the National Hive to the Rose HIve, by slowly replacing National Hive boxes with Rose Hive boxes over time, as the bees move down the hive. All boxes on the Rose Hive are one size, rather than the somewhat unecessary division into Brood Boxes and Supers in the National Hive (designed purely for the beekeeper's ease, not for the bees). Queen excluders are not used, and frames may be used without foundation, so that the bees can still build their own natural comb, but within a frame which is easier to manage if they do need to be moved.
The Rose HIve method seems to me like a good option if I do end up buying either a Nuc of bees, or a colony of bees in a National Hive from someone, as it would allow an easy transition to more natural beekeeping.
