The 19th century saw significant advancements in beekeeping technology and methods. In 1851, Lorenzo Langstroth, an American beekeeper, invented the movable frame hive, which revolutionized beekeeping by allowing beekeepers to easily inspect hives and harvest honey without destroying the colony.

With the advent of modern transportation and agricultural practices, beekeeping became more commercialized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Commercial beekeepers began providing pollination services to farmers and producing honey on a larger scale.