Bee-keeping shows up in Greek mythology. Aristaeus, apparently the dicsoverer of beekeeping (https://beelore.com/2007/07/22/aristaeus-discoverer-of-beekeeping/) lost his hives to disease. He compelled Proteus (a shape-changer, who was also the wise god of the sea) to tell him how to avoid such a loss in the future.
Apparently more diseases have been described for honey bees than any other insects. The earliest written descriptions were made by Aristotle around 325 B.C.
From: http://casswww.ucsd.edu/personal/ron/CVNC/byline/bugs_96mar.html
Bee Lore 
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