Bees and Humans

Beekeeping developed independently everywhere there were honey-producing bees. Bee tending began in Africa about 10,000 years ago.

A Mesolithic rock painting shown to the right depicts a honey hunter harvesting honey and wax from a bee nest in a tree. Even 2,500 years ago, ancient Egyptians practiced beekeeping similar to modern methods.

The ancient Maya first domesticated a species of stingless bees. And they are kept in Central America today. Their culture is referred to as meliponiculture, named after Meliponini bees found in tropical and sub-tropical America.

In Australia also, stingless bees were kept traditionally, and still are, for production of their highly prized honey, which is markedly different and less abundant than honey of European honey bees apis millifera.