Читать книгу Beekeeping For Dummies - Howland Blackiston - Страница 30

Honey bees are native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, but they’re not native to other parts of the world (Australia, New Zealand, and the Americas). Colonies of German black honey bees were first brought to North America in the early 1600s by Virginia and Massachusetts colonists. The honey was used by the pioneers as their chief sweetener. These bees prospered and gradually colonized all of North America. But the black bee populations were seriously compromised by disease in the early 1800s and were ultimately replaced by Italian honey bees. Today, honey bees have become a vital part of our agricultural economy. Honey bees didn’t reach Australia and New Zealand until the early- to mid-1800s.