Traditional migratory beekeeping in Greece, 18th – mid 20th century

In the Greek territory, the seasonal transfer of hives to new “pastures” was known already since antiquity. From the 18th until the 20th century, migratory beekeeping with traditional hives was practiced in many areas of the eastern Greek mainland and on several Aegean islands. This practice was carried out for the following reasons: a) to achieve greater production of bee products, especially honey; and b) for the bee colonies to spend the winter in regions where they would be able to offer a notable production in the following beekeeping season. The ordinary tools used in northern and central Greece as well as on the islands of the northern and central Aegean were upright hives, especially skeps. In the south, migratory beekeeping was mainly practiced with top-bar movable-comb hives and with several types of horizontal hives. Hive transportation took place in the night, usually on pack animals, carriages and boats; in many cases by the beekeeper himself. Migratory beekeeping was well developed on Thasos Island and in the Chalkidiki Peninsula, in both cases with exceptional results. Attica, Boeotia, Euboea, and western Crete were also areas of intense migratory beekeeping.

早在古代，希腊地区就已出现将蜂箱季节性转移至新蜜源场地的做法。18世纪至20世纪期间，希腊东部大陆诸多区域与爱琴海部分岛屿均采用传统蜂箱开展转场养蜂。该做法的实施动因主要有二：其一为提升蜂产品产量，尤以蜂蜜为重；其二为使蜂群在适宜区域越冬，保障下一养蜂季可实现可观的产出。希腊北部、中部以及北爱琴海、中爱琴海诸岛常用的蜂具为立式蜂箱，尤以草编蜂箱（skeps）为典型。而在希腊南部，转场养蜂主要采用顶条式活动巢脾蜂箱与多款卧式蜂箱。蜂箱转运通常选在夜间进行，运输工具多为驮畜、马车与船只，多数情况下由养蜂人亲自参与转运。塔索斯岛（Thasos Island）与哈尔基季基半岛（Chalkidiki Peninsula）的转场养蜂业发展成熟，且均取得了优异成效。阿提卡、维奥蒂亚、埃维亚以及克里特岛西部同样是转场养蜂活动密集的区域。