James Fischer <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>But the massively misinformed idea that "migratory
>beekeeping" in general is anything new, or puts
>some new "stress" on the bees is laughable in the
>extreme, given that migratory beekeeping has been
>around since at least 3,000 BC or so.  


Up until the late 1800’s and early 1900’s the movement of hives by 
beekeepers could be more accurately defined as 
‘transhumance beekeeping’; vertical seasonal bee hive movement, typically 
to higher pastures in summer and to lower valleys in winter, or movement 
to extend the honey producing season or to new sources of forage.

To say that migratory beekeeping of today is in any way comparable to 
traditional transhumance beekeeping from 3,000 years ago could also be 
termed, to those having such sense of humor, laughable as well.
  

====
According to The World History of Beekeeping and Honey Hunting
By Eva Crane

35.1 Why hives were migrated

“Practices of migratory beekeeping changed little
until the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, when mechanical
road transport was becoming reliable and
movable-frame hives were in common use.  By then, 
farmers were starting to grow monoculture and 
non-native crop plants, and beekeepers 
increased their honey production by moving hives on
to some of them.  Later, hives of bees were increasingly
migrated to crops to pollinate them”

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

====

So, just to name a few differences between migratory beekeeping and 
transhumance beekeeping; 

*A reliable mechanical road transport allowing migration over greater 
distances.
*The lengthening of the foraging season to a greater degree allowed by 
mechanical road transport.
*The movement of hives for the purpose of <pollination>, as opposed most 
migration in the past which according to Eva Crane was undertaken for the 
singular reason to get an “extra crop of honey“.
*The switch since the late 8000’s to monoculture and non native crop 
plants, serving to reduce nutritional forage variety for honeybees.

Best Wishes,
Joe  

****************************************************
* General Information About BEE-L is available at: *
* http://www.honeybeeworld.com/bee-l/default.htm   *
****************************************************