Rosalind James and Theresa L. Pitts-Singer (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- September 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195316957
- eISBN:
- 9780199871575
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195316957.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Biology, Plant Sciences and Forestry
Bees play a vital role as pollinators for many agricultural crops. This book discusses the interplay between bees, agriculture, and the environment. Although honey bees are well recognized as ...
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Bees play a vital role as pollinators for many agricultural crops. This book discusses the interplay between bees, agriculture, and the environment. Although honey bees are well recognized as pollinators, managed bumble bees and solitary bees are also critical for the successful pollination of certain crops, while wild bees provide a free service. As bees liberally pass pollen from one plant to the next, they also impact the broader ecosystem, and not always to the benefit of humankind. Bees can enhance the unintentional spread of genes from genetically engineered plants, and may increase the spread of invasive weeds. Conversely, genetically engineered plants can impact pollinators, and invasive weeds can supply new sources of food for these insects. Bees' flower-visiting activities also can be exploited to spread biological control agents that help to control crop pests. Bee pollination is important for production of native plants used for restoration of wild lands. Managing bees for pollination is complex and must consider bee natural history, physiology, pathology, and behavior. Furthermore, transporting bees from native ranges to new areas for pollination services can be controversial, and should be done only after assuring that a non-native bee introduction will not disrupt the ecosystem. Even though bees are small, unobtrusive creatures, they play large roles in the ecosystem. The connection between bees and humankind is symbolic of a broader interconnection between humans and the natural world.Less
Bees play a vital role as pollinators for many agricultural crops. This book discusses the interplay between bees, agriculture, and the environment. Although honey bees are well recognized as pollinators, managed bumble bees and solitary bees are also critical for the successful pollination of certain crops, while wild bees provide a free service. As bees liberally pass pollen from one plant to the next, they also impact the broader ecosystem, and not always to the benefit of humankind. Bees can enhance the unintentional spread of genes from genetically engineered plants, and may increase the spread of invasive weeds. Conversely, genetically engineered plants can impact pollinators, and invasive weeds can supply new sources of food for these insects. Bees' flower-visiting activities also can be exploited to spread biological control agents that help to control crop pests. Bee pollination is important for production of native plants used for restoration of wild lands. Managing bees for pollination is complex and must consider bee natural history, physiology, pathology, and behavior. Furthermore, transporting bees from native ranges to new areas for pollination services can be controversial, and should be done only after assuring that a non-native bee introduction will not disrupt the ecosystem. Even though bees are small, unobtrusive creatures, they play large roles in the ecosystem. The connection between bees and humankind is symbolic of a broader interconnection between humans and the natural world.
Mary Kosut and Lisa Jean Moore
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9781479833498
- eISBN:
- 9781479842308
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9781479833498.003.0015
- Subject:
- Sociology, Gender and Sexuality
In this chapter, we draw from our three-year multispecies ethnography of urban beekeeping conducted in New York City amidst bees and their human caretakers. Our fieldwork began with urban beekeepers, ...
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In this chapter, we draw from our three-year multispecies ethnography of urban beekeeping conducted in New York City amidst bees and their human caretakers. Our fieldwork began with urban beekeepers, our primary key informants who introduced us to rooftop hives and colonies located near clogged expressways. We quickly became acutely aware of our other nonhuman informants who populated the field and challenged our senses—thousands of insects that careened and whirled around our bodies; buzzing vibrantly in our ears, stinging us, landing quietly on our skin. In this light, our fieldwork and analyses pay particular attention to the everyday lives of the bee, attempting to decenter our human selves in the process—to become more animal in our intra-actions with bees—becoming with them instead of becoming as distinct from them. This requires that as fieldworkers, we interrupt our tendency to think of bees as the object of study and that we resist thinking of ourselves or the beekeepers as static, bounded, and permanently fixed entities. Instead we need to see all—ourselves, bees, the beekeepers, and other objects—as matter that is in the world and with politically fraught boundaries that are created through entanglements and conflicts.Less
In this chapter, we draw from our three-year multispecies ethnography of urban beekeeping conducted in New York City amidst bees and their human caretakers. Our fieldwork began with urban beekeepers, our primary key informants who introduced us to rooftop hives and colonies located near clogged expressways. We quickly became acutely aware of our other nonhuman informants who populated the field and challenged our senses—thousands of insects that careened and whirled around our bodies; buzzing vibrantly in our ears, stinging us, landing quietly on our skin. In this light, our fieldwork and analyses pay particular attention to the everyday lives of the bee, attempting to decenter our human selves in the process—to become more animal in our intra-actions with bees—becoming with them instead of becoming as distinct from them. This requires that as fieldworkers, we interrupt our tendency to think of bees as the object of study and that we resist thinking of ourselves or the beekeepers as static, bounded, and permanently fixed entities. Instead we need to see all—ourselves, bees, the beekeepers, and other objects—as matter that is in the world and with politically fraught boundaries that are created through entanglements and conflicts.
Debby Banham and Rosamond Faith
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- October 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199207947
- eISBN:
- 9780191757495
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199207947.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Medieval History, Social History
Chapter 5 looks at the functions of animals in Anglo-Saxon farming, and husbandry methods. It covers traction, dairying, meat and wool production, as well as eggs and other ‘minor’ products. It ...
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Chapter 5 looks at the functions of animals in Anglo-Saxon farming, and husbandry methods. It covers traction, dairying, meat and wool production, as well as eggs and other ‘minor’ products. It discusses animal housing, feeding, haymaking, breeding, herding, and especially pig pannage and identification. Beekeeping is treated separately.Less
Chapter 5 looks at the functions of animals in Anglo-Saxon farming, and husbandry methods. It covers traction, dairying, meat and wool production, as well as eggs and other ‘minor’ products. It discusses animal housing, feeding, haymaking, breeding, herding, and especially pig pannage and identification. Beekeeping is treated separately.
