The profession of beekeeping is very old, and the behaviour of bees together with the unique sweetness of their honey fascinated the ancient world. One admirer was the Roman poet Virgil (70-19BC) who wrote a collection of four short poems on farming called the Georgics. CHRIS NORTHCOTT surveys beekeeping from the ancient Roman world as glimpsed in Virgil’s poem, uncovering things that are familiar to apiarists today, as well as things we may find surprising.

Building on Ian Fletcher’s Revitalising Bee Science column last month imploring New Zealand’s apiculture industry to better promote its value to environment and economy, Dave Black casts his gaze wide – from the history of honey bees on these shores to modern global conventions which could provide the pathway beekeepers and scientists seek to advance bee research and support.

What can we learn from a Hertfordshire beekeeper’s 1939 letter to The British Bee Keepers’ Association (BBKA) magazine Bee World? That New Zealand’s current turmoil over beekeeping industry representation is not entirely unique, and that there are examples from not just other locations, but through history, which could help guide our thinking.

John Syme spent all his working life as a beekeeper and, at 82, he still keeps his hand it. Quite simply, it's in the blood...

Following on from last month's dip into beekeeping history and the race to land hives in NZ, we follow the dispersal of honeybees around...

While it may be commonly known that Mary Bumby was the first to introduce European honey bees to New Zealand...

Meet a West Coast beekeeping operation born from a coalmining blacksmith's hive 97 years ago, to a now well-entrenched business.