Fascinating Ancient History  Apiculture or beekeeping is the raising and caring of bees for commercial (e.g., honey and wax production) or agricultural (e.g., crop pollination) purposes. The word APICULTURE has the Latin roots apis "bee" and cultura "cultivation through education."

Man’s relationship with honeybees is as ancient as man himself.  Rupestrian art dating from the Paleolithic period in “la cueva de la araña” (The Spider Cave) in Bicor, Spain, (left picture) portrays a honey hunting scene, remarkably similar to today’s honey hunters from Nepal (right picture). it seems that little has changed in 15,000 years.  Man continues to pursue bees and beekeeping, because now, more than ever before, people depend upon bees.

It is not clear when man became an apiculturist (beekeeper), but there is a wealth of archeological evidence that as far as 4,000 years ago B.C., Egyptians kept bees in clay pots and used not only honey, but propolis and wax.  In fact, the honeybee was the symbol of Lower Egypt.

In ancient Greece and Rome, apiculture was a common practice.  The philosopher Aristotle in his “Historia Animalum” talked about honeybees’ floral fidelity, division of labor within the colony and winter feeding.  He also described some brood disease.  Hippocrates, the father of medicine, depicts the nutritional and pharmaceutical value of honey. Greek athletes used honey as an energy burst. The Roman poet, Virgil, explained the proper way to install apiaries.  The writer, Varro, who was called by the Romans "the most learned of all the Romans," discussed the business and profit opportunities derived from apiculture.

From its beginnings in Egypt, apiculture was part of every culture in Africa, Asia and Europe.  Apiculture consisted of providing a suitable shelter for honeybees, so it would be easy and convenient for beekeepers to harvest honey, wax and propolis.  People worked with local honeybees and the activity consisted mainly of providing shelter for the bees in hollow logs, clay pots, boxes, skeps, and structures made out of tree bark.   It was in Europe where apiculture made the most advances in development, innovation and honeybee biology. 

The Honeybee in the United States   Apis mellifera are not native to the Americas, Australia or New Zealand. Honeybees and beekeeping were introduced by colonists.  Black German honeybees were exported from England to Virginia in 1622.  There were additional bee shipments to Massachusetts in 1630 and 1633.  Honeybees then spread throughout the continent by natural swarming and by people (beekeepers). 

Apiculture continued a very slow evolution with little change until the mid-1800's, when Lorenzo L. Langstroth, a minister from Pennsylvania, patented a hive with movable frames that remains the model for hive construction today.  Langstroth's main contribution was the understanding of what is called "bee space."  Bee space is a space big enough to permit free passage for a bee, but too small to encourage comb building, and too large to induce propolizing activities.  Bee space measures 1/4" - 3/8" (9.5mm).  When honeybees find a smaller space they fill it with propolis and wax.  When the space is larger, they construct comb. 

Soon after, at the beginning of the 20th century many changes occurred in beekeeping.  The first mechanical honey extractor using centrifugal force appeared, as did wax foundation to encourage bees to form more manageable standard comb structures for the beekeeper.  The electric uncapping knife to easily open comb for honey harvest, the smoker to easily direct smoke to calm the bees, the standardization of the 10-frame hive, drugs to treat honeybee disease, artificial queen insemination, pollen traps, massive production of royal jelly, and the development of commercial apiculture and pollination services all appeared.

Today, honeybees inhabit all corners of the world, except the polar regions.

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