Bees – Agricultural Museums

World Bee Day 2022 AIMA Lecture Series

CELEBRATING WORLD BEE DAY WITH AIMA, International Association of Agricultural Museums You can listen to the 2022 World Bee Day Digital AIMA Lecture HERE: GOOD BEEKEEPING PRACTICES FOR SUSTAINABLE APICULTURE We are more and more aware of the significance of beekeeping for agriculture and in preserving biodiversity. Traditionally, beekeeping was important for bee products, while… Continue reading World Bee Day 2022 AIMA Lecture Series

Bees in Egypt of the Pharaohs

Abstract: In Ancient Egypt honey bees seemed to have been of great significance during all periods – as decoration or motif in various contexts as well as icon within the religious and mythological sphere. In addition to that, bees also seemed to have been devoted as a symbol of the royal status and were applied… Continue reading Bees in Egypt of the Pharaohs

Commercial bumblebee breeding in Norway

Abstract:Norway was early in starting to produce bumblebees for use in tomato cultivation in commercial greenhouses. This niche production is relatively complicated and therefore requires good knowledge and precise work. The Department for Agriculture was concerned that importing bumblebees could lead to importing of sicknesses and to genetic pollution of native Norwegian bumblebees. This article… Continue reading Commercial bumblebee breeding in Norway

How to do bee business despite Covid-19? Some practical and personal experience from Firestone Farm, Dearborn, Michigan

Abstract While the global pandemic disrupts our routines, those who care for livestock, including domesticated honey bees, must continue care without disruption. Patrice Fisher, the beekeeper at Firestone Farm, reports that bees are thriving at the living history farm within Greenfield Village, The Henry Ford, in Dearborn, Michigan, as of 4 June and 6 July… Continue reading How to do bee business despite Covid-19? Some practical and personal experience from Firestone Farm, Dearborn, Michigan

Poetry of agriculture? On the Significance of Beekeeping in Slovenia

AbstractsSlovenia is home to excellent beekeepers and the indigenous Carniolan bee. Beekeeping is one of the oldest traditional activities and an important part of Slovenia’s identity, natural and cultural heritage. It is a kind of a national hobby; there are 5 beekeepers per 1000 inhabitants in a population of just two million, together around 11.000.… Continue reading Poetry of agriculture? On the Significance of Beekeeping in Slovenia

Did anybody care about, or for, bees in the European Middle Ages?

Abstract: Medieval texts and iconography have much to tell us about beekeeping in Europe, from how hives were constructed to who took care of them, and… for whom. Résumé: Les textes et l’iconographie du Moyen Âge en Europe recèlent une pléthore d’informations sur l’apiculture, sur les ruches, sur qui s’en occupait et… pour qui. Keywords:Honeybees… Continue reading Did anybody care about, or for, bees in the European Middle Ages?

How has beekeeping changed over time? An archaeobeekeeper and an archaeological open-air museum in Germany showcase pre- and proto-historic beekeeping methods

Abstracts: Archaeological finds provide proof of beekeeping in man-made places for bees to live in for the first sedentary cultures. Tubular wooden constructions (log hives) and skeps are the typical bee habitations for (pre-)historic beekeepingin Central Europe. Only two really groundbreaking changes can be pointed out that have led to the modern type of beehives… Continue reading How has beekeeping changed over time? An archaeobeekeeper and an archaeological open-air museum in Germany showcase pre- and proto-historic beekeeping methods

What can law do for bees? A touch of history

Abstracts: We have evidence for honey-gathering from rock art dating back to the Mesolithic, but there is also information about beekeeping in the context of laws (and literature) in early Ireland – what do you do when a neighbour’s bees invade your property? Worse still, what happens if one stings you? Even worse, what happens… Continue reading What can law do for bees? A touch of history

Which came first, bees or crops? Why does it matter?

Abstracts: Flying insects, particularly bees, transfer pollen to flowers to facilitate plant reproduction. The Western or European honeybee (Apis mellifera) may get the most attention because of the honey they produce, but other bees pollinate vegetables, berries, and other fruits on which we all depend. Adding the natural history of bees to the agricultural history of… Continue reading Which came first, bees or crops? Why does it matter?