Geez, relax. One person said they didn't think the stead didn't need bee hives. (yes a few people have suggested that they shouldn't specialize in honey, but this is different from saying that there shouldn't be hives).
Mind you, this is glorantha, and certain things could vary. For example, some of the crop magic could be to get wild bees to visit the crops, and then the wild hives could be raided each year.
However I'd agree that there are probably some at least semi-planned hives (at the least they make suitable spots for the bees, so that they use them every year). As you or someone else said, the honey is mostly gathered just once a year in "fall" (late earth season?) after the crops are harvested. It is probably not a favorite job, but doing it once a year you can survive doing it without being much of an expert.
So for what it is worth, I'd like a little row of bee-hives along the edge of the main fields. (maybe Michael or someone else who has been researching can write a quick paragraph or two describing them).
--Bryan
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