harshakumari
New Member
Ms. Harsha Kumari and Mr. Bibhakar Kumar, Member and Coordinator, Members of 360 Research Foundation, Bihar, explain the bees varieties and value addition in it.
Beekeeping is the maintenance of honeybee colonies in hives by humans. In India, beekeeping is mainly forest based, and the food which is honey based is nectar and pollen. The Father of modern apiology is Johann Dziezon. Honeybee is a winged insect that collects nectar, pollen, produces honey, and lives in large community. The classification of honeybees is phylum arthropoda, order Hymenoptera, family Apidae, and genus Apis. There are five important species in India, rock bee, Indian hive bee, little bee, European or Italian bee, Dammer bee or singles bee.
Apis dorsata is rock bee and the largest species, it is also called as giant honey bee. It produces 35 to 50 kg of honey per comb every year. The worker bees pollinate nearly 12 thousand flowers. Workers are small and active, and because of their ferocious nature, they cannot be domesticated. Apis indica, known as Indian bee or Asian bee is smaller than Apis dorsata and it produces 8 to 10 kg honey per comb every year. These are gentle in nature, and so they can be domesticated easily. They prefer to live in dark places by making parallel combs. Apis florea is called little bee, and it is not social enough to make a single comb. The nest can be easily removed. They produce 0.5 to 1 kg honey per year. Apis mellifera is the European bee, produces less honey, but it is the best from the commercial point of view. they produce 45 to 100 kg of honey every year per comb. Dammer bee is smaller in size, builds irregular combs of wax and resinous substances in crevices and hollow trunks. It is made of a material called cermen, a mixture of wax, earth or resin.
There are 3 kinds of honeybees – queen, workers, and drone bees which vary in sizes. Each colony has different stages of bees such as eggs, larvae, pupae, and it is known as brood. There is only one queen bee found in the colony, and it is the mother of the whole colony producing drones and workers. Its work is to mainly lay eggs, but it does not have any motherly instinct to feed the brood. It can lay about 1500 to 2000 eggs per day. It produces fertilised eggs that give our worker bees and unfertilised eggs that produce drone bees. It may work up to 2 or more years. The worker bees are the imperfect female bees. They cannot mate, but they can lay eggs in a queen-less colony. Their duties include cleaning, feeding larvae, raising queens when needed, ventilate hives, guard the hive entrances, secrete bee wax, and construct the comb. They also help in collecting nectar, converting it into honey, collection of pollen, and produce royal jelly for feeding queens and larvae. The life span is about 40 to 50 days during honey flow season and up to 6 months during off season. The drone bees are haploid fertile males with the main function to mate with queen only once which costs their life. The number of drones in a colony may vary from 200 to 300, but during bad season they are driven out.
Bee pasturage refers to the plants from which the bees collect pollen and nectar. Nectar is the sweet secretion from the blossoms which is the basic raw product of honey. it is highly proteinaceous food for bees. Propolis is the resinous substance gathered from buds and bark of trees like chestnut and is used for sealing up cracks in the hive and reduce the size of the entrance. The bees communicate by means of dance movements. Honeybee workers perform a series of movements to teach other workers about the location of food sources more than 150 meters from the hive. By round dance or series of narrow circular movements, they alert the colony members about the presence of food within 50 meters of the hive. It communicates the direction and not the distance of the supply.
Two types of hives are used. The indigenous method or fixed hive or movable hive. The next method includes movable hive, queen excluder, honey extractor and uncapping knife. In artificial structures, the entrance is from the top and the exit from the bottom. The indigenous hive is purely natural type of comb because the bees prepare the hive on the wall of trees. There is a hole through which the bees enter and exit. Movable hive comprises of hollow wooden logs, empty boxes and earthen pots and are placed in verandas of houses.
The modern method has six pieces. The stand is the basal part of the hive. It is adjusted to make a slope to let the water drain. The bottom board is situated above the stand and is the base. It has two gates, one for entrance and other one for exit. There are 5 to 10 frames with wax sheet in vertical position for the bees to make walls and cells. Super is without cover and base, it is provided in many frames to provide additional space for expansion of the hive. Inner cover is a wooden piece for covering the super, and it has many holes for ventilation. Top cover is plain and sloping made of zinc sheet to protect the colony from rain. The queen excluder consists of a wire gauze and drone traps. Workers can go through it but not the queen. Honey extractor functions on centrifugal force where the pure honey is thrown out without any damage to the comb. The honey filled combs are sealed by wax which can be removed by heated knifes. The other equipment include protective gear, veil, bee net, brush etc.
The honeybee produces honey which is highly nutritious. The bee wax is used in many industries such as cosmetic and polishing industry and pharmaceuticals. Bees play an excellent role in pollination and increases the yield of crops. The bee venom consists of a lot of proteins used to cure AIDS in humans. Beekeeping also provides income to rural people. Royal jelly and pollen are consumed for their high protein. Beekeeping also helps in conserving natural resources.
The honey is produced when nectar and sweet deposits from plants and trees are gathered, modified, and stored in honeycomb as food source for the colony. Nectar is a liquid high in sucrose from plant glands known as nectarines. When bees produce honey, it evaporates. It is an energy source for honeybees and helps in foraging economics. The bee wax is sedated by the glands of the bees and is used to form walls and caps of the honeycomb. It is used in many industries. Honeybees collect pollen in their pollen basket and carry to the beehive. Pollen is used as an essential source of protein to raise the brood, and it is eaten as health supplement by humans. Propolis is a bee glue created from resins, balsams, and tree saps, and it is used to seal cracks in the hive. Royal jelly is produced by the honeybee secretion and is used for nutrition of queen bee and larvae. It is secreted from the hypopharynx glands. When the bee stings, it injects a venom. It is the defence mechanism of the bee to protect itself and the colony. It has proteins that can lead to localised inflammation or allergic reactions. The bee bread is made by bees from pollen collected by them and packed into brood cells mixed with digestive fluids and nectar. The bees seal the cells with honey and store in the hive for later consumption.
Apiculture is the scientific process of rearing honey bees in artificial hives to produce bee products by the apiculturist. It increases the yield of crops by means of pollination. The frequently raised species is Apis mellifera from the commercial point of view. There are many steps before starting beekeeping business. Before starting it, one has to do research and know fully about the business by having the training and proper education. There are books and online resources on beekeeping, or we can approach local KVKs and other places. We need to understand about the various bee species, hive managements, techniques, and challenges. We should have a business plan as without it we cannot succeed. We should define our business goal, target the proper market, and decide the scale of operations. We should work out the starting cost, expenses, and potential revenue. There are a few legal requirements also to start beekeeping business. We should adhere to the rules and local regulations, obtain permits and license for beekeeping.
We should acquire proper equipment and supplies. We need to get or build proper beehives, procure protective gear, and other essential equipment. We should source quality bees and decide on the quantity of honey we want to produce. Next comes the important aspect of beekeeping which is site selection. Otherwise, we cannot succeed in business. We need to select the location which is closer to forests and has less exposure to pesticides. We have to take care of the beehives by regularly inspecting them, visiting them daily, and check for diseases to ensure the overall health of the bees.
Then comes marketing. We have to build marketing strategies to sell honeybees, bee wax, and other bee-related products. We have to utilise social media, farmers’ market, or local stores to promote the products. The main advantage of beekeeping is the honey production which is the primary source of income for many. The pollination helps to increase crop yield, lower environmental impact, and it is ecofriendly.
There are a few disadvantages too. There is a potential risk of being stung when inspecting. So, it is important that we wear the protective gears before going near the hive. The bees can also be susceptible to diseases and pests. Beekeeping is a seasonal business and yields seasonal income only. It can impact cash flow. From the economic consideration, honey process can affect the overall profitability. The initial investment for bees and equipment can be high. Market demand for local honey and bee related products in our area has to be assessed. We should ensure to stay in the industry and supply continuously. It is important to keep updating ourselves about the business at all times. We need to be attentive to the needs of the bees.
The cost of beekeeping can vary according to the region, scale of operation, and equipment. In India, we need to spend on equipment which depends on the type, frame and foundation, protective gear, beekeeping suit, bee packets, nucleus colony, tools, and other equipment and accessories. We also need to get locational research done, training on beekeeping, undergo courses and read books. The initial medicine and treatment vary on the diseases that occur. Apart from these, the business registration, licences, permit vary by location. So, in total, the initial cost in India may vary from Rs. 30 to 70 thousand minimum. It depends on the choice and number of hives we plan to start with. It is advisable to start small and then develop once we gain experience. We should bear in mind that the cost may vary based on the local price and specification of the beekeeping business that we want to start.
Beekeeping is the maintenance of honeybee colonies in hives by humans. In India, beekeeping is mainly forest based, and the food which is honey based is nectar and pollen. The Father of modern apiology is Johann Dziezon. Honeybee is a winged insect that collects nectar, pollen, produces honey, and lives in large community. The classification of honeybees is phylum arthropoda, order Hymenoptera, family Apidae, and genus Apis. There are five important species in India, rock bee, Indian hive bee, little bee, European or Italian bee, Dammer bee or singles bee.
Apis dorsata is rock bee and the largest species, it is also called as giant honey bee. It produces 35 to 50 kg of honey per comb every year. The worker bees pollinate nearly 12 thousand flowers. Workers are small and active, and because of their ferocious nature, they cannot be domesticated. Apis indica, known as Indian bee or Asian bee is smaller than Apis dorsata and it produces 8 to 10 kg honey per comb every year. These are gentle in nature, and so they can be domesticated easily. They prefer to live in dark places by making parallel combs. Apis florea is called little bee, and it is not social enough to make a single comb. The nest can be easily removed. They produce 0.5 to 1 kg honey per year. Apis mellifera is the European bee, produces less honey, but it is the best from the commercial point of view. they produce 45 to 100 kg of honey every year per comb. Dammer bee is smaller in size, builds irregular combs of wax and resinous substances in crevices and hollow trunks. It is made of a material called cermen, a mixture of wax, earth or resin.
There are 3 kinds of honeybees – queen, workers, and drone bees which vary in sizes. Each colony has different stages of bees such as eggs, larvae, pupae, and it is known as brood. There is only one queen bee found in the colony, and it is the mother of the whole colony producing drones and workers. Its work is to mainly lay eggs, but it does not have any motherly instinct to feed the brood. It can lay about 1500 to 2000 eggs per day. It produces fertilised eggs that give our worker bees and unfertilised eggs that produce drone bees. It may work up to 2 or more years. The worker bees are the imperfect female bees. They cannot mate, but they can lay eggs in a queen-less colony. Their duties include cleaning, feeding larvae, raising queens when needed, ventilate hives, guard the hive entrances, secrete bee wax, and construct the comb. They also help in collecting nectar, converting it into honey, collection of pollen, and produce royal jelly for feeding queens and larvae. The life span is about 40 to 50 days during honey flow season and up to 6 months during off season. The drone bees are haploid fertile males with the main function to mate with queen only once which costs their life. The number of drones in a colony may vary from 200 to 300, but during bad season they are driven out.
Bee pasturage refers to the plants from which the bees collect pollen and nectar. Nectar is the sweet secretion from the blossoms which is the basic raw product of honey. it is highly proteinaceous food for bees. Propolis is the resinous substance gathered from buds and bark of trees like chestnut and is used for sealing up cracks in the hive and reduce the size of the entrance. The bees communicate by means of dance movements. Honeybee workers perform a series of movements to teach other workers about the location of food sources more than 150 meters from the hive. By round dance or series of narrow circular movements, they alert the colony members about the presence of food within 50 meters of the hive. It communicates the direction and not the distance of the supply.
Two types of hives are used. The indigenous method or fixed hive or movable hive. The next method includes movable hive, queen excluder, honey extractor and uncapping knife. In artificial structures, the entrance is from the top and the exit from the bottom. The indigenous hive is purely natural type of comb because the bees prepare the hive on the wall of trees. There is a hole through which the bees enter and exit. Movable hive comprises of hollow wooden logs, empty boxes and earthen pots and are placed in verandas of houses.
The modern method has six pieces. The stand is the basal part of the hive. It is adjusted to make a slope to let the water drain. The bottom board is situated above the stand and is the base. It has two gates, one for entrance and other one for exit. There are 5 to 10 frames with wax sheet in vertical position for the bees to make walls and cells. Super is without cover and base, it is provided in many frames to provide additional space for expansion of the hive. Inner cover is a wooden piece for covering the super, and it has many holes for ventilation. Top cover is plain and sloping made of zinc sheet to protect the colony from rain. The queen excluder consists of a wire gauze and drone traps. Workers can go through it but not the queen. Honey extractor functions on centrifugal force where the pure honey is thrown out without any damage to the comb. The honey filled combs are sealed by wax which can be removed by heated knifes. The other equipment include protective gear, veil, bee net, brush etc.
The honeybee produces honey which is highly nutritious. The bee wax is used in many industries such as cosmetic and polishing industry and pharmaceuticals. Bees play an excellent role in pollination and increases the yield of crops. The bee venom consists of a lot of proteins used to cure AIDS in humans. Beekeeping also provides income to rural people. Royal jelly and pollen are consumed for their high protein. Beekeeping also helps in conserving natural resources.
The honey is produced when nectar and sweet deposits from plants and trees are gathered, modified, and stored in honeycomb as food source for the colony. Nectar is a liquid high in sucrose from plant glands known as nectarines. When bees produce honey, it evaporates. It is an energy source for honeybees and helps in foraging economics. The bee wax is sedated by the glands of the bees and is used to form walls and caps of the honeycomb. It is used in many industries. Honeybees collect pollen in their pollen basket and carry to the beehive. Pollen is used as an essential source of protein to raise the brood, and it is eaten as health supplement by humans. Propolis is a bee glue created from resins, balsams, and tree saps, and it is used to seal cracks in the hive. Royal jelly is produced by the honeybee secretion and is used for nutrition of queen bee and larvae. It is secreted from the hypopharynx glands. When the bee stings, it injects a venom. It is the defence mechanism of the bee to protect itself and the colony. It has proteins that can lead to localised inflammation or allergic reactions. The bee bread is made by bees from pollen collected by them and packed into brood cells mixed with digestive fluids and nectar. The bees seal the cells with honey and store in the hive for later consumption.
Apiculture is the scientific process of rearing honey bees in artificial hives to produce bee products by the apiculturist. It increases the yield of crops by means of pollination. The frequently raised species is Apis mellifera from the commercial point of view. There are many steps before starting beekeeping business. Before starting it, one has to do research and know fully about the business by having the training and proper education. There are books and online resources on beekeeping, or we can approach local KVKs and other places. We need to understand about the various bee species, hive managements, techniques, and challenges. We should have a business plan as without it we cannot succeed. We should define our business goal, target the proper market, and decide the scale of operations. We should work out the starting cost, expenses, and potential revenue. There are a few legal requirements also to start beekeeping business. We should adhere to the rules and local regulations, obtain permits and license for beekeeping.
We should acquire proper equipment and supplies. We need to get or build proper beehives, procure protective gear, and other essential equipment. We should source quality bees and decide on the quantity of honey we want to produce. Next comes the important aspect of beekeeping which is site selection. Otherwise, we cannot succeed in business. We need to select the location which is closer to forests and has less exposure to pesticides. We have to take care of the beehives by regularly inspecting them, visiting them daily, and check for diseases to ensure the overall health of the bees.
Then comes marketing. We have to build marketing strategies to sell honeybees, bee wax, and other bee-related products. We have to utilise social media, farmers’ market, or local stores to promote the products. The main advantage of beekeeping is the honey production which is the primary source of income for many. The pollination helps to increase crop yield, lower environmental impact, and it is ecofriendly.
There are a few disadvantages too. There is a potential risk of being stung when inspecting. So, it is important that we wear the protective gears before going near the hive. The bees can also be susceptible to diseases and pests. Beekeeping is a seasonal business and yields seasonal income only. It can impact cash flow. From the economic consideration, honey process can affect the overall profitability. The initial investment for bees and equipment can be high. Market demand for local honey and bee related products in our area has to be assessed. We should ensure to stay in the industry and supply continuously. It is important to keep updating ourselves about the business at all times. We need to be attentive to the needs of the bees.
The cost of beekeeping can vary according to the region, scale of operation, and equipment. In India, we need to spend on equipment which depends on the type, frame and foundation, protective gear, beekeeping suit, bee packets, nucleus colony, tools, and other equipment and accessories. We also need to get locational research done, training on beekeeping, undergo courses and read books. The initial medicine and treatment vary on the diseases that occur. Apart from these, the business registration, licences, permit vary by location. So, in total, the initial cost in India may vary from Rs. 30 to 70 thousand minimum. It depends on the choice and number of hives we plan to start with. It is advisable to start small and then develop once we gain experience. We should bear in mind that the cost may vary based on the local price and specification of the beekeeping business that we want to start.