Abstract

The paper presents the effect of bee-keeping on man’s interests and the development of his powers of observation. Bee-keeping, due to its complexity, requires from bee-keepers wide knowledge, both general and professional, as well as the ability to draw conclusions from observations made during everyday work in an apiary. The paper also shows that the lack of possibility to mechanize the work that is to be done in a hive leads to establishing direct contact with bees and gives the duties performed by a bee-keeper a creative character. What follows, bee-keeping is nowadays perceived by many people as a kind of ‘antidote’ to consumer attitudes towards life. Bee-keepers work in the conditions where almost everything is to be done by hand, as employing machines is impossible.

Bee-keeping allows to avoid the emptiness caused by too much free time, protects people against frustrations and seems to be an attractive form of relaxation. Moreover, it has a positive influence on human psyche, provides man with esthetic experiences and in this way sublimates his spiritual life and increases his culture-oriented potentials.