The history of honeybees and beekeeping is complex and varied. Join me on an exploration of all things honeybees from ancient Egypt to the modern world.

Latest Essays

• Palladius (c. 4th-5th century AD), honeybees, and the fall of Rome
  16 October 2025
  The last Roman writer to write on beekeeping was Palladius. In this essay we explore the work of Palladius and the fall of the Roman Empire (and its effect on knowledge about honeybees).
• The Leader of the Hive Part 7 – For the Love of the King
  9 October 2025
  Most often the Queen Bee was described as a 'King' in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. This was particularly true in Bartholomaeus Anglicus' The Properties of Things.
• More Roman Writers on Honeybees: Columella and Pliny the Elder
  2 October 2025
  What did the Romans know about honeybees and beekeeping in the early Christian era?