1763: First hives were imported to Pensacola,FL by the English. This the year that Florida was first governed by England. (source: The World History of Beekeeping and Honey Hunting, Ethel Eva Crane)
Little Green Bees’ note: these bees would have been what we call German Black Bees or European dark bees, a popular variety that was brought by the colonists. We still find a hybrid form of this honey bee in the northern part of Escambia county. The hybrid forms are considered very defensive and are sometimes mistaken for Africanized honey bees (which we do NOT have in our area).
1773: Hives were established in Mobile, Alabama and wild honeybees flourished in the area (likely after having swarmed from established colonies.)
circa 1792: Beeswax was an article of export in the 18th century, particularly from the ports of Philadelphia, Charleston, Pensacola, and Mobile.
1896: Honey crop failure in parts of Florida due to heavy early rains followed by a long period of drought. (source: Gleanings in Bee Culture, 1896)
Little Green Bees 