allen dick wrote:

>> One thing I was hoping to get some insight on right now is surrounding
the idea of domestication. Since humans have had an interest in bees for
such a long time, can these bees be considered domesticated? I'm thinking
about this in terms of artificial homes, bee husbandry, selection and
genetics, which would suggest that they absolutely are. What are your thoughts?

This subject centers around the question "In what way are they
domesticated?" In other words, how are they distinct from a wild hive? If
the answer is: no different, then there is your answer. African bees in
hives seem every bit as wild as African bees in trees.

So, the mere fact that they are in hives doesn't prove domestication. The
pests living in my house are wild, even thought they have moved indoors. I
used to point out to people that because our bees are "free to go", they
cannot be called domesticated. 

But now, as they seem so dependent on us for survival, I consider them
domesticated. Since they are most definitely a managed species, keeping bees
certainly falls into the category of animal husbandry. Breeding in itself is
not a clincher. People breed any number of wild animals. 

Selection is the most difficult point. If the bees are selected for
qualities that make them more manageable, then this would be a process of
*domestication*. But what if they are selected for health, vigor, and the
ability to survive without undue management? 

I suppose the thing that attracted me to honey bees in the first place was
the idea that one is exposed constantly to a "wild creature" and one must
learn its ways to get along with it, and succeed. Gradually, I learned that
the beekeeper is responsible for the bees in his or her care. 

This is an apt metaphor for our position on the earth. Whereas once we could
stand at the edge of the wilderness, there now is very little of this planet
left that does not feel our influence. Let us always seek to do more good
than harm!

pb

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