| Beekeeping needs to be encouraged, because | | | | store the honey as a surplus that the beekeeper |
| they provide great tasting honey and help the | | | | can easily harvest, instead of using the honey to |
| environment. Beekeepers are also known as | | | | complete their spring build-up. |
| apiarists. Apiary or apiculture, which derives its | | | | Honey bees can be safely removed by humans |
| meaning from the Latin word apis, which means | | | | from houses and other nesting sites by carefully |
| bee, is the maintenance of honey bee hives by | | | | removing the entire nest (bees, wax, brood and |
| humans. | | | | honey). They can be very defensive toward |
| Honey bees can be improved by selective | | | | anyone that approaches their hive though. |
| breeding, provided that the predominant | | | | Alarmed worker bees will release substances |
| sub-species is the same. Ireland is actually in a | | | | from their glands in the sting apparatus and |
| unique position, since they have a great reserve | | | | mouth parts which cause other bees to attack, |
| of pure native strains of the Dark European | | | | and therefore, mass stinging incidents can occur. |
| Honey Bee, which is the indigenous bee of these | | | | Honey bees can be found worldwide. They live in |
| islands. Honey bees are mostly used for their | | | | hollow trees as well as in hives kept by their |
| large-scale honey production because they | | | | beekeepers. Beekeepers that manage African |
| stockpile honey for their entire colony. | | | | colonies will often tape their bee suits to their |
| Modern hives can also be moved in order for the | | | | boots and gloves to limit the possibility of bee |
| bees to pollinate specific areas and focus on | | | | access. Beekeepers must remember that they |
| honey production in others. Beekeepers want their | | | | are manipulating a "black box" in which not all the |
| colonies to reach their maximum strength before | | | | desired results can be attained through selection. |
| the nectar flow of honey begins. That way, bees | | | | |