Author: DrBeekeeper

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Bees Throughout The Ages: Bees in Religion

In this short article, we will look at the role of bees in different religions focussing on the three Abrahamic monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We will also touch on scriptural references to bees in other religions.  This is by no means exhaustive but will hopefully give an interesting insight into the significance of bees in religion.
 
Bees in Judaism and Christianity
Bees and honey are mentioned widely in the Bible and clearly have significance in Judaism and Christianity.
 
In Judaism, their symbolic role can, for example, be seen in the celebration of Rosh Hashana.  On the eve of the holiday it is customary to eat symbolic foods which may include dipping challah (leavened bread) and an apple into honey.  This can symbolise the hopes for a happy and healthy new year.
 
In Christianity, the bee has historically been seen as a symbol of Jesus Christ’s attributes.  The honey reflecting his sweet and gentle character, whilst the sting pertaining to justice and the cross.
 
There are four mentions of bees in the Bible (Deuteronomy 1:44, Judges 14:8, Psalm 118:12, Isaiah 7:18).  In one of these mentions, in the story of Samson, the reference of bees relates also to honey (the English Standard Version is used throughout):
 
‘After some days he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey.’ Judges 14:8
 
The three other passages refer to the power of bees:
 
‘Then the Amorites who lived in that hill country came out against you and chased you as bees do and beat you down in Seir as far as Hormah.’ Deuteronomy 1:44
 
‘They surrounded me like bees; they went out like a fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them off!’ Psalm 118:12
 
‘In that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.’ Isaiah 7:18
 
There are many references to honey in the Bible.  These emphasise the health benefits of honey:
 
‘My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste.’ Proverbs 24:13
 
They also refer to the pleasurable aspects of eating honey:
 
‘And when the people entered the forest, behold, the honey was dropping, but no one put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.  But Jonathan had not heard his father charge the people with the oath, so he put out the tip of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes became bright.’ 1 Samuel 14:26-27
 
And they advise to eat in moderation:
 
‘It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it glorious to seek one’s own glory.’ Proverbs 25:27 

‘One who is full loathes honey, but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.’ Proverbs 27:7
 
Bees in Islam
Chapter 16 of the Quran, believed by Muslims to be the revelation of God, is called ‘The Bee’.  The specific reference to the bees is in verse 68 (the translation by M.A.S Abdel Haleem (Oxford University Press) is used throughout):
 
‘… your Lord inspired the bee, saying ‘Build yourselves houses in the mountains and trees and what people construct.  Then feed on all kinds of fruit and follow the ways made easy for you by your Lord.’  From their bellies comes a drink of different colours in which there is healing for people.  There truly is a sign in this for those who think.’ The Bee 16:68
 
Interestingly, the words relating to the worker bees are grammatically assigned the female gender throughout (as they should be!).  Even several hundred years later, the correct assignment of gender, as we discussed in the last article was mistaken.
 
Honey is also mentioned in the context of paradise:
 
‘Here is a picture of the Garden promised to the pious: rivers of water forever pure, rivers of milk forever fresh, rivers of wine, a delight for those who drink, rivers of honey clarified and pure, [all] flow in it; there they will find fruit of every kind; and they will find forgiveness from their Lord.’ Muhammad 47:15
 
The healing characteristic of bees is also emphasized in the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet):
 
‘A man came to the Prophet and said, “My brother has some abdominal trouble.” The Prophet said to him “Let him drink honey.” The man came for a second time and the Prophet said to him, “Let him drink honey.” He came for a third time and the Prophet said, “Let him drink honey.” He returned again and said, “I have done that.” The Prophet then said, “God has said the truth, but your brother’s abdomen has told a lie. Let him drink honey.” So he made him drink honey and he was cured.’  Narrated by Abu Said Al-Khudri
 
Bees in Other religions
In Hinduisim early Hindu Vedic scriptures, as old as 1500 BC, have references to pollen and honey which it refers to as: 
“the nectar of the Sun” 
In the Hindu scripture Srimad Mahabhagavatam, it states:
“Like a honey bee gathering honey from all type of flowers the wise men search every where for truth and sees only good in all religions.” 
Honey is also one of the ingredients of Panchamrit ‘the five Nectars’ which also include milk, sugar, ghee, and buttermilk. 
 
In Buddhism, honey is important in the festival of Madhu Purnima.  This commemorates the Buddha making peace between two disputing factions of disciples by retreating into the wilderness.  The legend is that during this time, an elephant brought him fruit and a monkey brought honeycomb.  The monkey, so excited by the Buddha’s acceptance of his gift, jumped from tree to tree and fell to his death.  But because of his generosity, he is reborn in Tavatimsa (second heaven).  Buddhists observe this festival by bringing gifts of honey and fruit to the monasteries.
 
 
In the series so far, we have explored the significance of bees throughout history from different perspectives. In our next and final article, we will look at bees in the modern world.  Starting from the 17th century with the spread of bees globally; through to the 21st century looking at the value of bees today and our vital role in securing their future.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CDGPC16
 
…download the eBook on Amazon to read the full series!

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EMERGENCY: SAVE YOUR BEES!

The National Bee Unit has issued a warning that with the continued poor weather there is a risk that colonies might run out of stores.  They have advised food levels to be checked with a quick hive inspection.
I checked my hive by very quickly removing the roof and then the insulating sheets which I had placed on top of the crown board.  It was a relief to find lots of active bees at the centre most hole in the crown board.  I had 2.5kg fondant in plastic packaging which I pierced and laid over the hole in the crown board.  A little smoke was very helpful clearing the bees out of the way to avoid them being squashed when the fondant was placed on the crown board.  I then quickly closed the hive and am hoping that’s enough!
The key points from the National Bee Unit are:

‘• The colony may still have stores available which are at the other end of the brood chamber to the cluster of bees. If there are ‘empty’ frames between the two then the bees could still starve, despite food being in the chamber. Move the frames of food directly next to the outer frame where the cluster resides, ensuring that you score each frame of food (not excessively, but enough to stimulate feeding). Be sure not to knock or roll the bees when doing this and to be as quick as possible.

• If the colony has little or no frames of food then give them a block of candy or fondant. You want to aim for about 2.5 kg per hive and although this may seem to be a great expense, it is far less than the money you will have wasted should the bees die.

• Mini plastic bags that are used to store loose fruit in from the supermarket are perfectly acceptable for holding the fondant and cost nothing. Pack the candy in the bag and then pierce holes in the appropriate place once you get to the hive. If the bag seems fragile then you can double bag it (just be sure to pierce both bags).

• At this time of the year we would usually start feeding sugar syrup but with these temperatures it is still too cold. Place the fondant directly above the bees, turning the crownboard if necessary so that one of the porter bee escape holes is above the cluster.’

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Bees Throughout The Ages: Bees in Ancient Greece and Rome

Beekeeping activity in Ancient Greece and Rome
In Ancient Greece and Rome beekeeping was an important activity.  Although bees were kept in large numbers in Rome, such was the demand that honey and wax were imported from other parts of the Empire such as Spain and Corsica.  Early agricultural treatises including Varro’s De re rustica, and Vergil’s Fourth Georgic provide an insight into beekeeping during this period.
 
This coin, depicting a bee, originates from the Ancient Greek city Ephesus.  The city was famous for the Temple of Artemis (completed circa 550BC), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and later became a major Roman settlement.
·      Hives
The Roman hives are thought to have been made from cork oak bark, fennel stems or wicker-work.  The inside was smeared with cow dung.  Varro recognized the importance of situating the hive close to water.  Surprisingly, the accounts include recipes for sugar syrup and sweet cakes based on his recommendation to give bees food to prevent them using their stores.  In ancient Greek and Roman ruins, there is also evidence of top bar hives (which are based on a cavity covered with wooden sticks).  During honey collection, beekeepers burnt cow dung to smoke the hives!
·      Uses of honey and wax
Romans liked mixing sweet and savoury foods so honey was used widely in a range of recipes.  For example when preparing vegetables a mixture of honey, vinegar, salt and water was used (called Oxymel).
Wax was used in medicine as a broth-like mixture for the treatment for dystentry and as a skin softener.  It also served a practical function as a tablet – small wooden frames were filled with wax, and a sharp instrument such as a bone or metal stylus were used to mark the wax.
·      Aristotle and Bees
Although Aristotle, the famous Greek philosopher, never kept bees himself – he made many important and detailed observations which can be found in his text titled History of Animals.  He documents some interesting views on reproduction of bees which was clearly not well understood – there was the belief that bees did not give birth and fetched their young from flowers!
 
A picture depicting Aristotle studying animals (circa 1791, source not known)
He correctly worked out that bees develop in the cells of the comb.  The fact that there are three groups of bees including the worker and drone bees was also correctly identified, although the Queen bee was mistaken as a King.  He knew that the bees collected material from flowers but it was suggested that honey originated from the atmosphere rather than from flowers!  His proof of this was the fact that there are times when flowers are abundant but little honey is produced and other times when combs are filled very rapidly in a matter of days.
·      Vergil and The Legend of Aristaeus
One of Vergil’s major works is called the The Georgics.  In the fourth book in this series, he documents the life and works of bees which are presented as a model for human society.  In the second half, there is an epyllion (a short narrative poem) which includes the story of Aristaeus and the bees.
 
This is a wood cut from The Georgics (Book IV) depicting a peaceful scene with several beekeepers (circa 1502).
Aristaeus, a beekeeper, was the son of the water-nymph Cyrene.  When his bees died he sought the help of his mother.  She advised him that the old god of the sea, Proteus, could show him how this disaster could be prevented but would only do so if compelled.  Aristaeus was instructed to find and chain him which was difficult as Proteus could assume a number of different forms.  However, if his captor was strong enough to hold him thoughout these changes he would eventually give in and answer what was asked. 
So Aristaeus did as he was told, found Proteus at his favourite haunt and seized him despite the terrible forms he became until he eventually returned to his normal shape.  In answer to the question, Arisaeus was told to sacrifice to the gods, leaving the carcasses of the animals at the place of sacrifice.  Nine days later he was to return and examine the bodies.  When he returned, he found to his surprise a great swarm of bees in one of the carcasses.  He was never again troubled by the disease or loss of his bees.
 
Next time, we’ll focus on the fascinating role of bees in different religions.  In particular, we’ll focus on scriptural references from the monotheistic faiths of Judaisim, Christianity, and Islam.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CDGPC16
 
…download the eBook on Amazon to read the full series!

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Bees Throughout the Ages: Bees in Ancient Egypt


Beekeeping activity in Egypt

The world’s oldest pictures of beekeepers at work are from the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt (circa 2422 BC). In Niuserre’s temple, beekeepers are depicted removing honey comb from hives as they blow smoke towards them.

 
The hive designs were very different from the modern hives in use today.  The basic design was a skep – an upturned basket.  The problem with these was that the hive, and therefore the colony, had to be destroyed in order to extract the honey.  So the system was only sustainable if the colony swarmed and then this was actually caught.
 

Protective clothing does not appear to be worn in the ancient images of apiarists.  They seem to rely solely on the smoke blown into hives to keep the bees calm.  It was known that strong smells could affect the bees as early as around 200 BC as the head of the library in Alexandria claimed that beekeepers had shaven heads when approaching hives due to their violent reaction to perfumed oil applied to hair!

 
Symbolic role of bees
This image shows the Sedge symbolising Upper Egypt and the Bee symbolising Lower Egypt.  © Kenneth J. Stein.
Lower Egypt was the main beekeeping centre as it had an abundance of flowering plants thriving on the irrigated land so it’s no surprise that the bee was chosen as a symbol for the country. To this day, it remains a mystery as to why the ancient Egyptian bee was represented with four legs, rather than three pairs, on this symbol and on hieroglyphs.
 
The importance of honey is clear even from the first dynasty in Egyptian history, where there is even official mention of the title of ‘Sealer of the Honey’ being given.  Honey was clearly valued not only from domesticated bees, but perhaps even more from wild honey as there is evidence that royal archers protected honey hunters who would search for wild bee colonies!
 
‘I appointed for thee archers and collectors of honey, bearing incense to deliver their yearly impost into thy august treasury.’  Papyrus Harris, donation to the temple of Re at Heliopolis, New Kingdom.
In Tutankhamun’s tomb, pots of sealed honey were found and incredibly were still edible more than 3000 years later.  Furthermore, the discovery of 300 golden bees in the tomb of Childeric in 1653 emphasises the importance of the humble bee in Ancient Egypt. So impressed was Napoleon with Childeric’s bees that they subsequently became the heraldic symbol of the French Empire. 
Drawings of golden bees found in the tomb of Childeric I.  Drawn by J. J. Chifflet in 1655.
Harvesting
We know little about how honey was harvested in this period.  However, there are some pictures from the tomb of Rekhmire (18thdynasty) which shows how the hive was accessed from the back (as it is today!), smoke was blown from behind causing the bees to escape from the front entrance.  It is thought that a second person then broke the mud seal on the hive and removed the combs.
The beekeeper produces smoke whilst the kneeling helper breaks the mud sealing at the back of the hive and removes the combs.  Picture from the tomb of Rekhmire (18th dynasty) photographed by Abd el Wahab, The apiculture in Egypt, 2008.
The extracted combs were then placed in cows skin within which they were crushed and the honey was let out through a small hole in the skin into containers.
 
Uses of honey and wax
Honey was used as a sweetener at a time when sugar was unknown.  It was very expensive so was enjoyed mainly by the affluent members of society.  In addition, it was given as an offering to the gods.  For example, Thutmose III offered four vessels of honey to Amen.
In food, honey was used in bread, cakes and added to wine.  It was also used in medicines and, even at that time, the wound-healing properties of honey were harnessed.
 
Wax was used widely in Egyptian life including for sealing things, as a binding agent for paints, in boat and ship building, as well as to harden wigs to strengthen plaits!  It was also used in the mummification process with small body orifices being plugged with wax.  To this day, we do not understand how the Egyptians produced the wax itself.  It’s thought that after the honey had been extracted the broken down combs were placed in water which was brought to the boil from which the wax was extracted.
 
Next time, we will look take a journey through Greek and Roman history discovering the Greek patron god of beekeeping Aristaeus and learning about the Roman view of beekeeping from writers such as Vergil.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CDGPC16
 
…download the eBook on Amazon to read the full series!

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The battle against varroa commences…

Varroa, a parasitic mite associated with honey bees, is a major problem for beekeepers worldwide. When I first started keeping bees I had no idea that this parasite existed and its huge impact. Varroa feeds on body fluids of the honey bee and spreads viruses in the process. This can result in deformities in, for example, the bees wings. This parasite is also thought to play a role in a worrying phenomenon called colony collapse disorder where all the bees in a colony suddenly disappear.

As part of my battle against varroa, recently the hive was treated with oxalic acid. This helps kill the varroa and is best applied at this time of year, as with all varroa treatments, because there are no honey stores so only what needs treatment gets it.

The oxalic acid is drawn up in a syringe and about 5mls is squeezed onto the top of each frame in the brood box. And that’s it – hopefully this’ll strengthen the colony for the spring. All this reminds me of drawing up medications and treating people in my hospital…so many parallels between the bee and real world!

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Bees Throughout the Ages: The Origin of Bees

Bees have an extraordinary history and have changed considerably over time resulting in the bees we see today.

 

Bees first appeared during the Cretaceous period 130 million years ago.  During this time, the first fossils of many flowering plants, insect groups, birds and modern mammals were found.  The earliest recorded bee was found in Myanmar, where it was encased in amber, dating approximately 100 million years old.

 

In this early stage, it is thought that bees were actually predatory, eating other insects for survival rather than seeking nectar and pollen.   At this time they were part of the wasp family, namely, Crabronidae. They were also solitary non-social insects.
120 million years ago specific morphological changes occurred including longer tongues, pollen baskets, and increased fuzziness.  These changes resulted in the improved ability of bees to collect pollen and nectar resulting in the transition from insect-based prey to a vegetarian diet.

 

In the Oligocene-Miocene period, some 35-40 million years ago, temperatures cooled at a time when the European honey bee became extinct.  However, the Indo-European honey bee was able to survive and develop.  Around 6 million years ago the bees,  bees which were able to form cavity-nests, spread east and northwards.

 

In the Pleistocene period, 2-3 million years ago, the warming allowed the bees to spread westwards into Europe and Africa.  Covering such a vast areas of different climatic conditions from hot summers to dry winters as well as desert and tropical environments allowed different subspecies to emerge.

 

Today, in total, there are seven established species of honey bees with 44 subspecies.  Considering the approximately 20 000 species of bees in total, the honey bee forms  a surprisingly small fraction.  In fact, honey bees are the only surviving members of the tribe Apini which is part of the Apidae family.

 

The single genus of honey bee, Apis, is split into three branches of subspecies depending on how the bees nest. These are the cavity nesting bees (including Apis cerana, Apis koschevniokovi, and Apis mellifera), the open nesting honey bees (Apis dorsata and Apis laboriosa), and the single-combed honey bees (Apis andreniformis and Apis florae).

Apis mellifera is the main truly domesticated species of bees which has moved beyond its native range from at least the time of the Egyptian pyramids.  And so in next part of this series we will explore the remarkable role of bees in Egyptian life from how they were kept by ordinary civilians to the discovery of golden bees in the tombs of Kings.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CDGPC16
…download the eBook on Amazon to read the full series!

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Happy New Beekeeping Year!

I would like to wish everyone all the very best for 2013.  
Hope it brings you success in your beekeeping, with good health for you and your bees (as well as plenty of honey of course!).
If you’re thinking of becoming a beekeeper why not join a beginners group this year?  There is lots of advice in the getting started section.
For those interested in bees and honey in general the articles and recipes sections are worth a visit.  There is also a forum to share your ideas and questions.
Please join Dr Beekeeper’s email subscription here to keep up-to-date this year!!
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Introduction to my new series about ‘Bees Throughout The Ages’

 


In this six-part series of articles we will take a journey through time looking at the significance of bees throughout history from different perspectives.

We’ll start by looking at the origins of bees by exploring our scientific understanding of when bees first emerged in history and how they have changed over time.  In particular, we’ll see how certain species became extinct due to climatic changes leading to the emergence of the modern day western honey bee, Apis mellifera. 
The impact of bees in mythology and folklore will be explored in the second article.   From early civilisations we’ll learn about the evidence of honey hunting skills from rock art in Spain, India and Africa.  We will also look at different mythological representations of the bee.
In the next two articles we’ll explore the fascinating roles of bees in Ancient Egypt, as well as Greek and Roman history.  
 
Bees played an incredibly important role in Egyptian history not only being kept at home (with written beekeeping activity in existence from as early as 2422BC) but also having a major symbolic role.  We’ll see how bees were kept in upturned straw baskets, the discovery of golden bees in the tomb of Childeric, and how, even after 5000 years honey in tombs is still edible!
 
In Greek History, we will discover the role of Aristaeus who was the patron god of beekeeping as well as hunting and husbandry.  We’ll also find out about Aristotle’s observations about bees.  Then we’ll learn about beekeeping and the qualities of bees as mentioned by Roman writers such as Vergil (Publius Vergilius Maro was an ancient Roman poet).
In the fifth article we’ll look at role of bees in different religions.  In particular, we’ll focus on scriptural references from the monotheistic faiths of Judaisim, Christianity, and Islam.  We’ll look at the numerous mentions of bees and honey in the Bible such as ‘My son, eat honey, for it is good, and the dripping of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste’ Proverbs 24:13 (English Standard Version).  We’ll discover that the Quran, the holy book of Muslims, an entire chapter is called ‘The Bee’ which mentions that ‘… your Lord inspired the bee, saying ‘Build yourselves houses in the mountains and trees and what people construct.  Then feed on all kinds of fruit and follow the ways made easy for you by your Lord.’ From their bellies comes a drink of different colours in which there is healing for people.  There truly is a sign in this for those who think.’ The Bee 16:68.   We’ll also look at the role of bees in other religions.
In the final article in the series, we’ll look at bees in the modern world.  Starting from the 17th centurywith the spread of bees across the world, aided by human migration.  In the 19th century we’ll learn about the invention of the smoker and moveable frames with foundation.  We’ll finish in the 21st century looking at the role of bees today and our vital role in securing their future.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CDGPC16
 
…download the eBook on Amazon to read the full series!

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New series of articles about ‘Bees Throughout the Ages’ coming soon…

Just to let you know, from January 2013, the British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) are publishing a series of articles I have been commissioned to write about Bees Throughout The Ages.  It will start with the Origin of Bees, followed by articles about Bees in Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.  The series will finish with articles about Bees in Religion and the Future of Bees.  It will be published monthly in the BBKA newsletter – let me know what you think of the first article!

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Made some school boy beekeeping errors…

Had a chat with my friendly beekeeping tutor who ran the beginners course I attended earlier this year. It transpired that there were several things I needed to sort out. Firstly, the mouseguard needed to come off as my hive is a modern National and only has a small entrance for bees – so is already effectively mouse proof and applying the guard might actually obstruct bees entering or leaving. Secondly, I had to remove the queen excluder and also the metal tray (which is for inserts to check the levels of varroa) below the mesh at the bottom of the hive. This allows ventilation from the bottom. Finally, I had to insulate from the top by placing, on top of the crown board, some foil and an eke within which I put a washed cotton bathmat and towel. The roof was placed on top of this.  During all of this I tried to minimise the exposure to cold for the bees and fortunately did see a few alive bees so hope everything is ok in there!!