38 
Beekeeping 
Bees not domestic animals. 
Bees have been kept by man from an early stage in the 
development of human civilization, yet it cannot be said 
that they are domesticated. In all of their activities, bees 
under the care of man do not differ from bees in a wild state. 
The bee has been modified by breeding in various ways 
but, in so far as the natural instincts are concerned, it is 
doubtful whether any appreciable change has been brought 
about and in the greater number of phases of bee life no 
change has even been attempted. An escaping swarm takes 
up its abode in a hollow tree and the bees are often then 
spoken of as “wild,” but this adjective is just as applicable 
to the bees in the apiary. Certain animal trainers become 
proficient in handling savage animals through their knowl¬ 
edge of the ways of these beasts. Similarly the beekeeper, 
by studying the behavior of his bees, comes to know their 
habits and is governed by this knowledge. This comparison 
of bees and wild animals must be construed not as intended 
to inspire fear in the uninitiated but to point out that the 
beekeeper actually is dealing with animals unmodified in 
their instincts by their long association with man. By the 
proper use of smoke and especially by the way the colony is 
handled, the beekeeper can seemingly do with his bees as he 
pleases. The fact is, however, that he cannot overstep the 
bounds set by the instincts of these animals. It is therefore 
an incorrect conception of the ability of the beekeeper to 
state, as did Langstroth, that bees are capable of being 
tamed. In view of these facts, the necessity of a thorough 
knowledge of bee activities is most evident. 
Necessity of colonial life. 
Bees cannot live alone. Their structure and instincts fit 
them for life in a colony or community, where the various 
duties are divided among the individuals according to struc- 
Many zoologists refuse to take taxonomy seriously and there seems every 
reason for disregarding its laws in the present case. 
