The beekeeper’s job has always been to help the bees. The common misconception that beekeepers only rob honey from otherwise healthy bee colonies for their personal gain is false, as positive human interference has protected the colonies from parasites, like the varroa mite. As we have moved to more environmentally harmful modes of resource consumption and have injured natural biodiversity, the need for help has increased. Beekeepers give honey bees a safe home free of most diseases and pests, provide food reserves in case of a bad harvest, and protect people from the swarms that can result in a hive a little too close to home.
When keepers check on hives they use specialized suits to protect themselves as well as using a smoker to temporarily calm the bees in order to prevent stings or panic. The first box that the honey bees fill with honey is the brood chamber which acts as a nursery for larvae, a pantry for pollen and honey which the bees eat, and a home in general. The top sections of the hive are called supers and they contain extra frames in which the bees put the excess honey they’ve made. This way, the beekeepers are not taking any necessary resources from the bees and are preventing waste.
