For thousands of years humans have hunted for honey. They have robed wild bees and in doing so have often destroyed the creatures that brought the golden harvest. Sadly, this is not all in the past; it still goes on today. What is more wild bees often have their habitats destroyed by farming methods and suffer the ultimate destruction of bing smoked out or killed for the short-term gain of one honey collection. A remedy for this situation lies in education. It is obvious that honey-hunters need to learn to be beekeepers. Farmers should also understand the necessity of maintaining a balance in the environment. Much can be achieved if children are taught about the value of bees and the need to maintain biodiversity. It is worth remembering that today's children are the next generation of beekeepers. Development is necessary but keeping and ecological balance is also essential. There is an all too simplistic equation of 'bees equal honey'. This has to be addressed through wider education on the themes of pollination and the value of other hive products. There are, it seems to me, three stages on the road to beekeeping. They are: to kill bees; to have bees; to keep bees.
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