The Chrudim Bee: The Outline of the Czech Beekeeping History since Aloise Thuma (1838-1914) Down to the Present Day
Abstract
The monograph introduces apicultural practice since its origin as well as early activities of the first Czech beekeepers society established in Chrudim in 1864. Together with the historical excursus, the particular chapters always contain a part devoted to the contemporary apicultural practice.
The selection of relevant themes is defined by the content of the journal Včela chrudimská edited by Alois Thuma for free years. Alois Thuma's monographs, in which he further developed the Themis originally introduced in the journal, serve as the source of supportive information.
The first chapter briefly introduces Alois Thuma's life and work as well as the content of the Včela chrudimská journal. For the second half of the 19th century were typical not only significant discoveries and inventions in apiculture, but also Czech beekeeping experiments with imported queen bees of various races.
Therefore, the second part of the book describes the phenomenon, when beekeepers were eager to observe behavior of other bee races with their own eyes and crossbreed them with the local European dark bee. The third chapter deals with the shape and size of beehives as this was also a chance for possible individual innovations.
Since several articles of Včela chrudimská describe hive management during specific months of the year, this topic is included in the fourth chapter. At present the problem of bee diseases is being widely discussed.
As the beekeepers of the past had to face this problem as well, their knowledge concerning the control of bee diseases has become the topic of the fifth chapter. The sixth chapter's focus is the bee food sources available at the hive stand or while moving it.
The best selling product of a beekeeper is honey and honey products, among which mead is dominant. Therefore these and also other bee products are introduced in the last, seventh chapter.