Petro Prokopovych
Encyclopedia
Beekeeping
Beekeeping is the maintenance of honey bee colonies, commonly in hives, by humans. A beekeeper keeps bees in order to collect honey and other products of the hive , to pollinate crops, or to produce bees for sale to other beekeepers...
. He introduced a number of novelties in traditional beekeeping that allowed significant progress in the practice. Among his most important inventions was a frame
Frame (beehive)
A frame in a beehive is the structural element that holds the honeycomb or brood comb within the hive body . The frame is a key part of the modern "movable" hive since it can be removed in order to inspect the bees for disease or to extract the excess honey.-History:One of first beehive frames was...
in separate honey chamber of his beehive
Beehive
A beehive is a structure in which bees live and raise their young.Beehive may also refer to:Buildings and locations:* Bee Hive, Alabama, a neighborhood in Alabama* Beehive , a wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings...
. He also invented a crude queen excluder
Queen excluder
In beekeeping, the queen excluder is a selective barrier inside the beehive that allows worker bees but not the larger queens and drones to traverse the barrier....
between brood and the honey chambers
Biography
Petro Prokopovych was born in UkraineUkraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, in the village of Mytchenky, near Baturyn
Baturyn
Baturyn , is a historic town in the Chernihiv Oblast of northern Ukraine. It is located in the Bakhmatskyi Raion of the oblast, on the banks of the Seym River...
. Starting at the age of eleven, he studied at the Kiev-Mohyla Academy for eight years. After studies he committed himself to a military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
career. He resigned his commission in 1798, bearing an officer rank and enjoyed retirement at his brother's apiary
Apiary
An apiary is a place where beehives of honey bees are kept. Traditionally beekeepers paid land rent in honey for the use of small parcels. Some farmers will provide free apiary sites, because they need pollination, and farmers who need many hives often pay for them to be moved to the crops when...
. By 1808 Prokopovych already had 580 beehives.
Prokopovych studied the biology of bee colonies, and strove to improve existing methods of beekeeping. His main intention was to develop methods which allow least disturbance and damage to bees. This resulted in 1814 in one of very first beehive frame, which allowed easier honey harvest. Another invention was a wooden partition with apertures, which is passable only for working bees, presently called queen excluder
Queen excluder
In beekeeping, the queen excluder is a selective barrier inside the beehive that allows worker bees but not the larger queens and drones to traverse the barrier....
. It made possible getting pure honey in the frames. Prokopovych's inventions were a landmark in the history of beekeeping, and the beginning of the commercial beekeeping. Prokopovych's scientific work resulted in more than sixty articles in various printed media such as newspapers and magazines.
Another passion of Prokopovych was teaching. He set up a beekeeping school that prepared more than 700 qualified beekeepers during 53 years of existence. As a beekeeper
Beekeeper
A beekeeper is a person who keeps honey bees for the purposes of securing commodities such as honey, beeswax, pollen, royal jelly; pollinating fruits and vegetables; raising queens and bees for sale to other farmers; and/or for purposes satisfying natural scientific curiosity...
, Prokopovych owned 6600 colonies and became rather wealthy.
Petro Prokopovych was buried in the village of Pal'chyky in the Chernihiv region
Chernihiv Oblast
Chernihiv Oblast is an oblast of northern Ukraine. The administrative center of the oblast is the city of Chernihiv.-Geography:The total area of the province is around 31,900 km²....
, where his beekeepers' school was located. A monument to Prokopovych stands there, and the Ukrainian Institute of Beekeeping is named after him.