Beekeeping - Apiculture in Arkansas
Introduction to Beekeeping
Honey bees are perhaps the most beneficial animals on the planet. Their
foraging activities ensure the successful reproduction of countless plant
species as well as the animals that depend on plants for survival. Bees emerged
as a distinct group, evolving from their cousins, the Sphecid Wasps, during the
Cretaceous period over 100 million years ago. There are about 20,000 described
species of bees in the world. About 4000 are native to the new world. Most are
solitary to gregarious, and do not make honey, but all are important pollinators
in their habitats. The species we know as the honey bee probably originated in
Africa, and has changed little in the past 30 million years. Prehistoric peoples
discovered honey and produced cave paintings depicting the gathering of wild
honeycombs more than 10,000 years ago. For much of human history, honey was the
only sweetener available. Often a rare find it was a highly prized seasonal
treat.
The ancient Egyptians were probably the first culture to maintain bees in
artificial hives. They would float barges laden with clay hives up the Nile
River where flowers were plentiful. They would allow the bees to forage by day,
and then drift back down the river at night as new flowers bloomed through the
season. Later, the Greeks adopted beekeeping, inventing the first top-bar hives.
The Romans also kept bees. The practice was widespread in medieval Europe, where
castles, monasteries and peasants commonly kept bees in various types of hives
for their honey as well as their wax. The lightweight straw skep largely
replaced the heavy terracotta hives of the ancients. In the forests of Eastern
Europe, colonies of wild honey bees were hunted and carefully managed. Sometimes
sections of a hollow bee tree were removed and transported to home to be kept.
Often the bees were left in the trees, which were modified by making a larger
opening in the tree, and securing it with a plank of wood. This allowed a honey
hunter to periodically open the cavity and remove combs of honey without
destroying the colony.
European colonists have transported honey bees to much of the rest of the
world. Brought to the Jamestown colony in the early 1600s, bees adapted well to
the climate, and thrived in the old growth forests along the east coast and into
the Appalachian Mountains. Often preceding the westward spread of the colonist
pioneers, Native Americans referred to the bees as White Man's Flies. Today honey bees
have been established on every continent except Antarctica.
Beginning in the second half of the 19th century, beekeeping underwent a
revolution of invention and innovation. With the widespread adoption of moveable
frame hives, bee colonies could be inspected and honey could be harvested
without destroying the bee colony. With steamship travel shortening
transatlantic travel, new races of bees became available in the U.S., and the
gentle Italian bees (Apis meliffera lingustica) began to replace the
temperamental and disease-prone German variety (Apis meliffera meliffera).
Suddenly beekeeping became a viable and profitable industry.
The
Three Bees - There are different castes of honey bees: Worker,
Drone and Queen. Each caste has important roles and performs specific duties in
a bee colony.
The Honey Bee Anatomy - The honey bee is an elegant blend of beauty
and functionality. Nearly every aspect of a honey bee's body is adapted for its
role as a pollinator.
Races of Honey Bees - There are many varieties of honey bees
available. What makes them different? Which is the best?
Honey Bee Biology
Honey Bee Behaviors
The Bee Colony
The Bee Hive
Tools & Equipment
Setting up Your Bee Yard
Installing Your First Bees
Inspecting Your Hive
Harvesting Honey
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Keeping Bees in Arkansas
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