Honeybee Histories

Honeybee Histories

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Honeybee Histories
Honeybee Histories
Tree Beekeeping in Poland Part 2

Tree Beekeeping in Poland Part 2

In this paid subscriber essay we return to the topic of tree beekeeping in Poland, especially examining the role that Casimir III played in ensuring that legal protections were in place for beekeepers

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Matt Phillpott
May 01, 2025
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Honeybee Histories
Honeybee Histories
Tree Beekeeping in Poland Part 2
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In the previous essay, Tree Beekeeping in Poland Part 1, we explored the ancient history of tree beekeeping in Poland and Belarus and how the practice grew and continues to be practiced today.

As part of that essay, I described how tree hives are basically created by cutting a slot in a tree trunk (often Pine) so that the bees can build a nest inside without harming the tree itself. I also mentioned how complex scaffolding might be used to support the hive entrance and marks added which depicted ownership of the tree hive.

In part 2 we look more at the legal side of tree beekeeping in Poland. The practice would have most likely fallen into much more scarcity if it hadn’t been for medieval laws that gave tree beekeepers some rights to protect their hives and work in forest lands.

Casimir III (1333-1370) by Leopold Loeffler - cyfrowe.mnw.art.pl, Public Domain (Wikipedia)

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