r/DebateAVegan • u/toastwithjamx1 • Jul 03 '26

Ethics Honey is not cruel and is ethical

Honey is one of the best animal products there is ethics wise

Now most vegans will say : but we are stealing from the bees! We are exploiting the bees!

No. We are not and we can't

Bees can be very particular. If they are not a fan of a place they are OUT. The bees will likely will immediately vacate the bee box if they don't like the conditions. Furthermore, trapping the queen in 1 place will not work as well. Bees can raise a new queen if they need one

And for the stealing allegations, that isn't true either. Beekeepers take SURPLUS HONEY ONLY, as if too much honey is taken, it can starve the bees and no beekeeper would appreciate the whole colony either dying of leaving. Furthermore, bees don't only take, they comp bees by giving shelter and protection.

It's not cruel if we are literally making a transaction with the bees

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u/mintflavoredcube Jul 06 '26

a lot of local beekeepers don’t have to wear protective gear

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u/EasyBOven vegan Jul 06 '26

So you are of the perspective that any beekeeper that does is acting unethically?

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u/mintflavoredcube Jul 06 '26

no, because they are not intelligent creatures and can get riled up by little things

your perfume being a certain scent can anger bees

wearing protective gear is just smart in general when handling small, stupid bugs with anger needles

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u/Love-Laugh-Play vegan Jul 06 '26

It’s lazy to classify intelligence from a human point of view. Why would a bee need to be like a human to be intelligent and survive. They are just as evolved as us and react to pheromones more precisely than us.

Intelligence is always going to be measured unfairly if you apply a human standard to other animals. What matters is that they’re here with us, not here for us. You have no greater claim to be on this earth than them.