History and geography of beekeeping

Topics

• Ancient Cultures
• Impacts of bees:
• 1.    Agricultural impact
• 2.    Cultural impact
• 3.    Impact on food supply

Beekeeping played an important role in ancient and current cultures.

Beekeeping played an important role in ancient and current cultures.

Beekeeping played an important role in ancient and current cultures.

Beekeeping played an important role in ancient and current cultures.

Beekeeping in ancient Egypt

Ancient Egyptians migrated their hives along the Nile using rafts.

Ancient Egyptians produced huge amounts of honey to sacrifice.

Beekeeping in Ancient Greece

In 593 BC, a law was passed in Athens restricting the placement of hives.

Aristotle made several important discoveries about bees.

Topics

• Ancient Cultures
• Impacts of bees:
• 1.    Agricultural impact
• 2.    Cultural impact
• 3.    Impact on food supply

agricultural impact of bees

Beekeeping was a new paradigm in ancient agriculture-Honey and beeswax were probably some of the first luxury crops.

Cultural impact of bees

In ancient Egypt, honey was so expensive that only the rich could afford it.

However, because honey was the only sweetener available, some servants stole it from their employers.

Impact of bees today

About 1/3 of the food we eat depends on bees.

Colony Collapse disorder (CCD)

• CCD kills worker bees, which limits pollination.
• Queen and brood are left in hive.
• Bees do not die around the hive, but simply disappear.
• CCD occurs worldwide.
• CCD affects mainly the European races of honeybees.

Worst-case scenario

• CCD will become more widespread
• Bee-pollinated food supply will disappear
• We will have to rely on wind-pollinated food only.

Topics

• Ancient Cultures
• Impacts of bees:
• 1.    Agricultural impact
• 2.    Cultural impact
• 3.    Impact on food supply