History of Bees

Bee-keeping has been work that humans that has fascinated humans for thousands of years. The first depiction of humans in contact with the honey bee is honey hunters. These individuals would risk their lives climbing into trees so that they could gather the precious honey. The Egyptians took the beekeeping to another level. They were ingenious with their hives creating cylinder tubes that were three feet in length and 8 inches in diameter. These hives were used to place the bees and have a surplus supply of honey at all time. Honey was considered gold and would be traded equally by weight. The Egyptians also had an incredible production of beeswax which they treated with high regards. Throughout the Mediterranean bee keeping was a flourishing occupation. Many of these beekeepers held colonies in mud or straw hives called skeps. Beekeeping has changed dramatically in the last 100 years. The invention of the Langstroth Hive made beekeeping much easier and accessible to all individuals wishing to engage in this past time. Beekeeping was exploding and bees of different natures were shipped all around the world. The bees that once came over were produces less honey, and beeswax. Through breeding we have made a honey bee to our liking. Being in the northeast we had to figure a way to feed the bees in order for their survival. By feeding them sugar water it was shown that they were able to produce honey and wax of good quality. This was a benchmark and beekeepers all over used it when bees ran out of food. However this method of feeding has not changed in over 150 years. We simply feed the bees a ratio of sugar to water. We must act upon these bees with respect. Feeding them sugar that contains no value of nutrition interferes with their body functions after a prolonged time. Their immune system also starts deteriorating and diseases are more prevalent with long term feeding.

Bees throughout history has been considered a gift from the gods. the egyptians believe that bees were created when the god Re cried and his tears touching the ground created bees. They selflesslee create honey, wax and other products for the colony without regards to themselves. The honey bee treats itself as a unit of all the bees and if there are bees unable to work they will kill them or kick them out of the hive. The same goes for the queen, she is but a worker for the worker bees as the worker bees work for the queen bee. In a symbiotic hive all being benfit from it. Bees throughout history have been considered a gift from the gods. The Egyptians believe that bees were created when the god Re cried and his tears touching the ground created bees. They selflessly create honey, wax and other products for the colony without regards to themselves. The honey bee treats itself as a unit of all the bees and if there are bees unable to work they will kill them or kick them out of the hive. The same goes for the queen she is but a worker for the worker bees as the worker bees work for the queen bee. In a symbiotic hive everything runs smoothly and all being benefit from it.