- Know the biology of the bee
- Learn More the network of complex interactions between the bee, the plants, the man and the territory
- Understand how amateur and professional beekeepers work, their ways of breeding or producing royal jelly
- Identify the threats weighing on bees and the means of control available
- Discover the beekeeping sector and the honey market.
Description
Bees are both essential to the agricultural production of nearly 70% of cultivated species and one of the first victims of intensive agricultural practices. It is this paradox but also all the complexity of the relationship between bees, beekeeping and agriculture that the MOOC Bees and Environment explores.
We will discover the biology of bees, in particular that of the domestic bee, a remarkable species which has been able to maintain a wild way of life while being the subject of human domestication. We will see the different factors affecting its health, whether chemical or biological. We will explain the strong dependence between the health of bees and the availability of floral resources and habitats, in particular in agricultural environments.
Through many examples, you will discover how beekeepers can raise their bees to produce honey and royal jelly, but also for the pollination of crops. Testimonies will recall that French beekeeping is an economic activity which must face a drop in production and strong international competition. Its strengths are the quality and originality of regional productions.
For each of these themes, the stabilized scientific knowledge but also that which is under debate will be exposed and discussed.
