Beekeeping

Bees on a comb.

Beekeeping or apiculture is the farming of honeybees.

Uses

The keeping of bees is usually, and has been in the past, for honey. That is becoming less true. Instead, it is more used for crop pollination and other products. These are wax and propolis.

There is only one queen bee in each hive and she is bigger than the rest. She lays all the eggs, which makes all the other bees in the hive her daughters and sons. However, they do not control the hive.

Types of beekeeping

The largest beekeeping operations are agricultural businesses that are operated for profit. Some people also have small beekeeping operations that they do as a hobby. Urban beekeeping is a growing trend, and some have found that "city bees" are actually healthier than "rural bees" because there are fewer pesticides and greater biodiversity.

Threats

Colony Collapse Disorder is a growing problem, along with mites.

References

Wikibooks has more about this subject:

Beekeeping