Excerpt:
Honeybees were brought to the United States from Europe in the early 17th Century, but beekeeping never became rationalized until the movable-frame hive emerged in the middle of the last century through the discovery by Langstroth of the “bee space,” the 3/8 in. spacing between parts which the bees would not seal. The new hive allowed inspection for disease, manipulation to prevent swarming, and removal of honey without destruction of the colony. .Beekeeping acquired its present form between 1850 and 1914.
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