How Did It All Start?

Honey bees ( Apis mellifera L.) preceded humans on earth by 10 to 20 million years.

Honey bees are one of the oldest forms of animal life still in existence from the Neolithic Age. Primeval humans gathered and ate the honey and honeycombs of wild bees, the only available sweet, as far back as 7000 B.C. Bronze Age societies celebrated preindustrial triumphs by drinking mead, probably the first intoxicating beverage fermented from honey.

In fact, the words mead and mellifera (the specific name for honey bees), which are similar in several languages, were derived from root words referring to honey bees, liquor, doctored drink, etc. In the past, words for mead, honey, and honey bee were used interchangeably, revealing the importance placed on the alcoholic beverage derived from honey.

Like honey, beeswax was prominent in ancient folklore and mythology. In the pre-Christian era, wax was offered as a sacrifice to the gods; used in the rites of birth, marriage, purification, and death; and used in embalming, sealing coffins, and mummification. The use of beeswax in religious candles carried over into Christian times and led to beekeeping by clergy and monks in order to ensure an adequate supply of the raw material. In the past, beeswax served as a medium of exchange and taxation; it was exacted as tribute from conquered nations and was used in writing, painting, sculpturing, and protecting works of art, as well as for illumination. Honey, beeswax, and propolis (a mixture primarily of plant resins and beeswax that bees use in nest contruction) have been used extensively in pharmacopoeia since 2700 B.C.

Honey bees originated in southern Asia, probably in the region of Afghanistan. The earliest record of humans gathering honey from wild colonies is from 7000 B.C. Man first kept bees about 3000 to 4000 B.C., perhaps as early as 5000 B.C. There is no way of knowing to what extent honey bees have evolved since then; we can assume that some evolution has taken place, particularly with regard to the social organization of the colony and foraging behavior.

Who Were The First Beekeepers?

Honey bees originated in southern Asia, probably in the region of Afghanistan. The earliest record of humans gathering honey from wild colonies dates back to 7000 B.C. Man first kept bees about 3000 to 4000 B.C., perhaps as early as 5000 B.C. There is no way of knowing to what extent honey bees have evolved since then; we can assume that some evolution has taken place, particularly with regard to the social organization of the colony and foraging behavior.

Ancient beekeepers simply gathered honey from wild bees by going out into vast areas of forest and searching for bee nests. Honey was then taken directly from the tree. Ancient people used to eat the mass of wax, honey and pollen together with pieces of larvae.

People used to keep a great number of bees in Russian forests from the 12th century until well into the 17th century. During that period, bees were housed in naturally formed cavities in the forest trees, or logs, or sometimes honey gatherers created artificial holes for bees. Over the centuries, log beekeeping activities increased to such an extent that Russia was able to produce enough beeswax to supply other countries.

In rural Russia, a lot of people used to keep bees to make their living. It was not until the 18th century when people started keeping bees in bee gardens with several log hives in each special bee garden.

In the 19th century the first signs of modern beekeeping in apiaries began to take shape, and there were invented hives with removable wooden frames. During this period people kept on experimenting with hive designs and, eventually, came up with the invention of multiple-storey hives.

Beekeepers tinkered with other ways of getting honey from bees until 1851 when Lorenzo Langstroth from Philadelphia found out the secret. Three-eighths of an inch. Bees fill any bigger space in their hive with comb. Any space less than a quarter of an inch, they seal with propolis. But furnish them a box in which everything is three-eighths of an inch apart and the bees put their energy into making honey - lots of it. Then beekeepers just had to keep up their end of the deal and be sure the bees had a safe place to live and a place to keep all their honey.

For centuries, honey was a significant product for the survival of Russian rural people. Fur, honey and wax were the main commodities for export in Russia. Bee colonies in Russia outnumbered millions, and thousands of tons of honey were exported annually from Russia.

Throughout the entire history of Russia, honey was among the commodities of paramount importance and Russia ranked high in the world market as one of the key honey and beeswax exporters.