How Bizarre, How Bizarre, How Bees Are: Domus and Umwelt in the Multispecies Entanglements of Humans and Honeybees

Abstract

Relationships between humans and honeybees are complex because they are deeply entangled. These entanglements take on many forms, such as those present in the honeybees’ self-centered worlds—umwelt—as well as the intersections in their mutually constituted lived world, or their domus. As honeybees are involved in pollinating up to 85 percent of the world’s agricultural crops, understanding these entanglements is a vital component of environmental anthropology. To high­light these interconnected relationships as they apply to commercial beekeepers, this paper explores the case study of an Australian almond farmer named Mark deCaux who has incorporated beekeeping into his agricultural practices to ensure his crops are adequately pollinated. Since adopting beekeeping, his crops have grown his apiary to a commercial-sized practice. Through the lens of his experiences, the concepts of umwelt and domus emphasize the intricate negotiations between humans and honeybees that constitute their mutually entangled relationships.