The practice and science of raising and caring for honeybees, especially for the production of honey and beeswax.
From Latin apis (bee) + cultura (cultivation, farming). This word entered English in the 18th-19th centuries as beekeeping became organized and scientific.
Apiculture is one of humanity's oldest agricultural partnerships—we've been farming bees for thousands of years, and they've been rewarding us with honey, wax, and crucial pollination services!
Beekeeping historically coded as male-dominated agricultural work. Early 20th-century beekeeping literature predominantly featured men as practitioners and innovators, though women contributed equally to hive management and honey production in household and commercial contexts.
Use 'apiculture' and 'beekeeper' without gender modifier; highlight women pioneers like Eva Crane and contemporary women beekeepers to counter invisibility.
["beekeeping","apiculturist (gender-neutral)"]
Eva Crane's foundational apicultural research (1950s-1980s) established modern bee biology; women run 40%+ of commercial apiaries today but receive <15% media coverage.
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