Dick Marron <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> All this talk of migrating bees in Egypt and no one
> mentioned the use of the
> Nile to move bees up and back. They did do this you know.  

Yes, a good point.  I knew this, however it was not essential for my discussion.
Plus you don’t what to give your opponent any more ammo.  ;)

This from an article around 1890 or so:
“Thousands' of barges
freighted with hives were floated up
and down the Nile in order to afford
the insects pasture on the flowers 
along the banks.” 

Although this movement up and down the Nile of thousands of barges would IMO be considered migratory, the reasons for migrating hives have changed: 

“…through the centuries, most migration was undertaken to get an extra crop of honey.” Eva Crane

and  “Later, hives of bees were increasingly migrated to crops to pollinate them” Eva Crane

Take out the pollination fees, and are there any migratory beekeepers that could remain in business as the beekeepers of Egypt must have done without the fees. 

Best Wishes,
Joe





      

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