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Short abstract:

From the perspectives of the history of technology and environmental history, this paper examines a case study in STS regarding the introduction of Western bee species and modern beekeeping practices into China.

Long abstract:

At the end of the 19th century and the dawn of the 20th century, the introduction of Western scientific beekeeping methods, characterized by the utilization of movable-frame beehives, along with the importation of Italian bees (Apis mellifera L.), opening the prelude to modern apiculture in China. Embedded within the socio-historical evolution of modern China, this article explores the interplay between foreign bee species, scientific beekeeping techniques and indigenous beekeeping practices in China, as well as the changes in agricultural production systems. It discusses the roles played and obstacles faced by various agents, including beekeepers, social elites, beekeeping associations, local and central governments in the process of constructing and promoting a network of modern beekeeping knowledge. The localization of Western scientific beekeeping practice in China involves not only the transfer of knowledge and technology but also reflects an interface of interactions among humans, bees, and the environment. This article undertakes an ecological analysis of these dynamics. As Italian bees replace the indigenous Chinese bees (Apis cerana Fab.) as the dominant species in Chinese apiculture, they instigate a crisis in the survival of native bees through population hybridization, disease transmission and competition for nectar plants. Simultaneously, the scale-driven modern beekeeping practices engender a transformation in the intricate relationship between beekeepers and their colonies.