Sweeping the bees from their natural environment and farming in cage by scientific methods and modern technological ways is called apiculture or bee farming. According to the weather of our country , Indian bee is most suitable for farming. This types of bees are small in size, golden colored with white stripe. They usually lives in the hole of trees in multiple parallel room. Accessing routes are arranged with parallel hole. In scientific bee
farming system bee cages are made in this method. Farming bees in this system is called apiculture.
Necessity of Bee Farming
We can get honey from natural sources. So, why bee farming ? Be main benefits of bee farming are described below.
- Usually, the hive are destroyed while collecting honey from it. At this time many bees die, baby bees and eggs also damaged. As a result, the number of bees are reducing day by day. Nowadays, for using pesticides in the crop field, the number of bees is ominously reducing continuously. The crop production is also decreasing for using it. By farming bees in modern ways we can increase the number of bees.
- We use deprived bee hive honey as food for consuming. Honey is very nutritious as well as it also helps to prevent different types of harmful diseases. In general system honey is collected by griping the bee hive. In this system we can’t collect all the honey from hive and the collected honey remains mixed with wax, bee eggs and different types of trashes. But in modern bee farming methods we can collect all honey from the bee hive and the collected honey is very fresh and pure.
- We get wax from natural system but in modern bee farming ways wax is not available. The hive is damaged if wax is collected. It takes huge time to make new hive. In modern method the hive is remain intact. After collected honey from hive the bees can collect honey again. As a result we can get more honey in short time.
- While surfing from one flower to another it carries pollen grains and it helps to increase crop production. If you set up the bee cage near a crop field it will increase the production of both crop and honey.
- Bee farming can be considered as a cottage industry. And it can be a great source of employment. For the rural poor people it can be an additional income source.
Appropriate environment
The selected location of farming the bee box will be dry, shadow and proper food facilities available near the place. If needed you can plant some seasonal tree near the box. The selected location should free from horrible sound and all types of smoke. The bee box may made with wood or bamboo.
Difficulties and Diseases
The bee can be get affected by different types of enemies and diseases. About two major enemies and diseases are described here. In wet condition the bees are affected by wax-battle. This diseases can be determined by seeing the hive covered with a layer like spider net. By keeping the box neat and clean and changing them occasionally we can prevent this diseases. Potassium permanganate can use in the bee box to prevent this. The door of the box should closed at night and open again in the morning. The another harmful diseases of bee is acarine. The wing of the affected bee looks like ‘A’. And they move by using their chest. The closet of the affected bee is yellow colored. The bees moves here and there separately. In many cages they become paralyzed. Affected quin bees stops laying eggs. The main solution of this diseases is spreading mithael solicide vapor in the cage.
Bee farming requires a very low investment. No needs of separate place for them. You can keep the bee box in your house corner, roof or near the home garden. In proper care and management up to 10 kg honey can collected from each bee box.
