Mr. Subhajit Mukherjee, Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab, explains the innovative techniques in beekeeping.
Apiculture is basically the process of beekeeping and maintenance of honeybee combs to collect products like honey, wax, propolis, bee venom, etc. The place where the apiary is set up is called the bee yard. The honeybees belong to kingdom Animalia, Phylum Arthropoda, class Insecta, order Hymenoptera, family Apidae, and genus Anis. There are four important species being cultivated in large numbers. Apis dorsata or rock bee is the largest compared to the other bees and constructs large combs in big trees with huge yield. Cerena Indica is a medium sized Indian bee which forms many parallel combs in cavities and tree branches, and these are domesticable and not ferocious. Apis Florea is the smallest bee and builds very small single comb in bushes and hedges with poor honey yield. Apis mellifera or the European honeybee is the largest commercial honeybee for production of honey in large volumes. Melipona variety does not fall under Apis group, forms irregular comb, and the yield is very poor.
A bee colony has three types of bees – worker, drone, and queen. Queen bee is the most ferocious and the fertile female, largest in size with no wax glands and lives up to 3 to 4 years. It lays on an average 1500 to 2000 eggs every day. Drones are the male members who live up to 60 days. they do not have any sting or wax gland and are developed from unfertilised eggs. Their duty is to fertilise the virgin queen. The worker bees develop sting and hind legs known as pollen basket to collect pollen and perform various duties based on their age such as guarding entrance, collecting nectar and pollen. By 7 days the bees come out of the hive and serve as mating partner among the drones and mate the queen in flight to make copulation happen. But only one of them can fertilise the egg. It is so intense that after copulation the drone bee falls from height and dies.
The method of beekeeping can be divided into two – indigenous and modern type. in indigenous type, there are 4 categories. They prepare the hive high on the wall, tree trunks and build small, fixed hives on leaves to serve as source of pollen. There is also movable hives where the wooden frame is used for cultivation process. It is here where the beekeepers store all the clusters from the trees and transfer them to wooden racks where the hexagonal combs are already made. The honeybees are transferred from trunks and clusters and put in the racks for further honey production. There are 5 tools involved here – honey extractor, queen remover, uncapping knife, typical removal hive, and other equipment. Bee space is the optimum distance to be left between two adjacent combs in beehive for normal and essential movement and functioning of the bees. We can find, stand to support the bottom board, bottom board for the proper base of the hive with entrance, brood chamber to rear the brood, plates where the bees raise combs, and the queen excluder is fixed on perforated zinc sheets so that the workers can pass through but not the queen because of its large size. The super is provided with many frames for additional space and expansion of the comb. The inner cover is a board serving as a partition between brood, super chamber and roof. The top cover is a wood serving as roof over inner cover. The uncapping knife is a large size knife to uncap the frame for honey extraction. We can extract whatever the wax is sticking to the frame and scrap the whole thing. Then we have honey excluder is a cylinder with open mouth that works on centrifugal force. The wooden racks are put inside the wooden box or aluminium or metal box, circulating in circular motion using centrifugal force, and the honey is collected in the walls of the cap.
The first produce is honey from nectar of various plants through enzymatic activity, regurgitation, and water evaporation by the bees. It is used in food products and medicines. It has a composition of 29.2% of dextrose, maltose and other sugar 8.1%, enzyme pigment of 2.21% and water 17.2%. Next is bee wax secreted by the wax gland under the abdominal section. It is used for making candles, creams, lotions, and as foundation of the comb. The Madhuvan in Sundarban make candles in hexagonal structure and selling at a cheap rate. Royal jelly is an expensive product from honeybees. It is obtained from the glandular secretion of the young worker bees, from hyper pharyngeal gland in the head to treat various diseases. Bee venom is another expensive product of honeybees. It is bitter, colourless liquid with protein that causes local inflammation. It is used to cure rheumatoid arthritis, nerve pain, sclerosis, and de-sanitising. India is exporting good percentage of bee venom. Propolis is a resinous mixture also known as honeybee glue produced from saliva and wax along with exudate from tree buds. It helps in sealing unwanted spaces in hives, curing cough and throat infection, and in cosmetic industry.
The main enemies for the bees are wax moth caterpillars that live in the silken tunnels made by bees in the propolis. Wasp is another enemy which waits near the entrance of the comb, catch them, and macerate them to feed the juice to the young ones of wasps. Acarine is a disease that affects the tracheal system of bees. Varroosis sucks the haemolymph of the bees. American foulbrood kills the larvae. Nosema affects the stomach cells of bees, stops metabolism, and starve to death.
Colony collapse disorder is a phenomenon when majority of workers disappear leaving behind queen, food, and a few nurse or worker bees to take care of the immature bees and the queen.
This disorder causes great economic loss as bees play an important role in pollination of agriculture crops. There are many causes for this such as infection, varroa, Acaropsis mites, malnutrition, genetic factor, immune deficiencies etc.
Agencies involved in apiculture in India are APEDA to help promote export of honey. Under this agency’s guidance and supervision, the Mukyamantri Madhu Vikas Yojana has been introduced to serve subsidiary benefit to farmers. National Bee Board contributes to the overall development of scientific beekeeping and research in India. The Central Bee Research and Training Institute in Pune gives training to beekeepers. Delhi, UP, Haryana, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, East Bihar, West Bengal, and West Rajasthan are improving on beekeeping. Production of honey in India is increasing since 2001. We can easily identify the crystallisation and processing of honey which is a major concern now. If the honey is left in the case, there will be 2 layers of separation on the upper side and middle lower portion. Though we feel this is due to adulteration as many companies add sugar syrup in honey making it not fully pure, we should know that crystallisation can occur normally too. Glucose is the least soluble component and supersaturated in honey which causes crystallisation.
To make beekeeping into a very successful commercial product in India, we have some formulations. FSSAI standards in India says 5% sucrose is good, but the Manuka honey from New Zealand is the most famous in the world with 12% sucrose. The medicinal property of the honey is judged based on the sucrose level. This is a hindrance to our product. The product can be judged based on the molecular markers, and nearly 1 thousand markers are identified so far. There are many more, and we may have a good chance if these are also listed. Also in the case of monoflora honey, the minimum pollen content should not be less than 45%. In case of multiflora honey, also the pollen content should not be more than 45%. These standards are different from what is practised across the globe.
Honey is used as a digital sensor too. They can identify cocaine considered as smuggling objects. Honey bees are fixed in pouch boxes with fitted algorithm and computerised system in such a way that they can work as digital sensors. Beehero has come up with a component kept in the apiary setup, they collect the data from beehive and observe the behavioural system of the bees. They receive signals from the box which they can work on. They get information such as climate, humidity pressure percentage, behavioural pattern, any threat that needs to e sorted out, preventive measures, their feed, opening and closing of the tomb, and any other damage. We can commercialise this and do on a large scale if the government is supportive and offer subsidies. Using honeycomb structures which is an intrinsic design is helpful for scientists in reforming work, building and even in badminton shoes. This allows less raw materials and optimised space. The honeybee products such as honeyspoon popsicles which are made of honey spoons, filled with raw and pure honey. We can also make products like jam using honey and hazelnut, pickles, and honey ginger. We have to focus and make use of the government schemes to start our own venture. Bee venom is the costliest and can fetch us huge price.
What are some new tools that have proved effective in modern beekeeping? How can beekeepers adapt to changes in environmental conditions used in innovations?
Honey extractor, queen bee excluder, honey knife, uncapping or scrapping knife, glove, goggles, protective garments and tools to scrap the honey form the comb are some of the tools used. Molecular markers have proved effective as claimed by scientists. By using the programs mentioned by the government, they should have extension workers to help them. The subsidised extension services and the amount paid to the bee keepers will also help. Each district should have extension services to help the beekeepers get profit. Environment plays a crucial role apart from expertise from scientists which is not easily available to the beekeepers. This bridge has to be closed.
Are there user-friendly technologies for beginners in beekeeping? What is the role of research in developing innovative beekeeping methods?
We need to understand the behaviour of the bees, the commercial varieties, and get training from KVKs. We should use protective measures when we open the cases. We should know how to identify the queen bee, clean up the wax properly, honey to be taken in sanitised container to avoid any contamination, and get acquainted with the process. Using research we have to find out the molecular markers. By this we can find out the medicinal properties which could be higher than Manuka honey. We can analyse the problems of the beekeepers. The hexagonal model is used after lot of research. We can make the product better. When we cultivate good honey or rear bees in a good area, we can see good profit. Research has lot of scope. We have found that crystallisation is not due to adulteration alone but also because of the saturated glucose.
Can you share some successful and sustainable practices in beekeeping? How do innovative techniques contribute to the overall health of bee colonies?
In Hyderabad National Agriculture Management Extension Services, they have founded an organisation developing popsicles from honey, jam, and ready to eat honey. They have commercialised it, obtained license from FSSAI and FDI. Beehero devices monitors the beehives and sends lot of data and tell us the condition of honey bee, humidity, temperature, and pressure. We can take preventive measures accordingly.
What advancements have been made to improve bee welfare? How can beekeepers stay updated about the latest innovation in the field?
The beehive should not be put in shiny or humid places but in shady places with room temperature and in open fields. If it should be monofloral honey, we have to cultivate in a mustard field within a short distance as bees can cover shorter distances only. Subsidies are being provided to beekeepers. The hive should have proximity to market with all facilities such as water, good soil, and open field. It should not be near any industry to avoid pollution. The beekeepers should follow new technologies using the services of extensions. Each district or group of districts should have experts to update the beekeepers about the new technology, innovation, welfare schemes from the government et.
Are there innovative approaches to beekeeping education and training?
Starting from molecular markers, species cultivated, type of shelters, components used for beekeeping and using the components, innovative approaches are being followed. We can develop devices like beehero at low cost to help the beekeepers. These approaches should be implemented in every sector of honeybee or apiary and promoted by government and extension experts.
Mr Subhajit Mukherjee Email: mukherjeesubhajit220@ gmail.com Phone: 8927042727
Apiculture is basically the process of beekeeping and maintenance of honeybee combs to collect products like honey, wax, propolis, bee venom, etc. The place where the apiary is set up is called the bee yard. The honeybees belong to kingdom Animalia, Phylum Arthropoda, class Insecta, order Hymenoptera, family Apidae, and genus Anis. There are four important species being cultivated in large numbers. Apis dorsata or rock bee is the largest compared to the other bees and constructs large combs in big trees with huge yield. Cerena Indica is a medium sized Indian bee which forms many parallel combs in cavities and tree branches, and these are domesticable and not ferocious. Apis Florea is the smallest bee and builds very small single comb in bushes and hedges with poor honey yield. Apis mellifera or the European honeybee is the largest commercial honeybee for production of honey in large volumes. Melipona variety does not fall under Apis group, forms irregular comb, and the yield is very poor.
A bee colony has three types of bees – worker, drone, and queen. Queen bee is the most ferocious and the fertile female, largest in size with no wax glands and lives up to 3 to 4 years. It lays on an average 1500 to 2000 eggs every day. Drones are the male members who live up to 60 days. they do not have any sting or wax gland and are developed from unfertilised eggs. Their duty is to fertilise the virgin queen. The worker bees develop sting and hind legs known as pollen basket to collect pollen and perform various duties based on their age such as guarding entrance, collecting nectar and pollen. By 7 days the bees come out of the hive and serve as mating partner among the drones and mate the queen in flight to make copulation happen. But only one of them can fertilise the egg. It is so intense that after copulation the drone bee falls from height and dies.
The method of beekeeping can be divided into two – indigenous and modern type. in indigenous type, there are 4 categories. They prepare the hive high on the wall, tree trunks and build small, fixed hives on leaves to serve as source of pollen. There is also movable hives where the wooden frame is used for cultivation process. It is here where the beekeepers store all the clusters from the trees and transfer them to wooden racks where the hexagonal combs are already made. The honeybees are transferred from trunks and clusters and put in the racks for further honey production. There are 5 tools involved here – honey extractor, queen remover, uncapping knife, typical removal hive, and other equipment. Bee space is the optimum distance to be left between two adjacent combs in beehive for normal and essential movement and functioning of the bees. We can find, stand to support the bottom board, bottom board for the proper base of the hive with entrance, brood chamber to rear the brood, plates where the bees raise combs, and the queen excluder is fixed on perforated zinc sheets so that the workers can pass through but not the queen because of its large size. The super is provided with many frames for additional space and expansion of the comb. The inner cover is a board serving as a partition between brood, super chamber and roof. The top cover is a wood serving as roof over inner cover. The uncapping knife is a large size knife to uncap the frame for honey extraction. We can extract whatever the wax is sticking to the frame and scrap the whole thing. Then we have honey excluder is a cylinder with open mouth that works on centrifugal force. The wooden racks are put inside the wooden box or aluminium or metal box, circulating in circular motion using centrifugal force, and the honey is collected in the walls of the cap.
The first produce is honey from nectar of various plants through enzymatic activity, regurgitation, and water evaporation by the bees. It is used in food products and medicines. It has a composition of 29.2% of dextrose, maltose and other sugar 8.1%, enzyme pigment of 2.21% and water 17.2%. Next is bee wax secreted by the wax gland under the abdominal section. It is used for making candles, creams, lotions, and as foundation of the comb. The Madhuvan in Sundarban make candles in hexagonal structure and selling at a cheap rate. Royal jelly is an expensive product from honeybees. It is obtained from the glandular secretion of the young worker bees, from hyper pharyngeal gland in the head to treat various diseases. Bee venom is another expensive product of honeybees. It is bitter, colourless liquid with protein that causes local inflammation. It is used to cure rheumatoid arthritis, nerve pain, sclerosis, and de-sanitising. India is exporting good percentage of bee venom. Propolis is a resinous mixture also known as honeybee glue produced from saliva and wax along with exudate from tree buds. It helps in sealing unwanted spaces in hives, curing cough and throat infection, and in cosmetic industry.
The main enemies for the bees are wax moth caterpillars that live in the silken tunnels made by bees in the propolis. Wasp is another enemy which waits near the entrance of the comb, catch them, and macerate them to feed the juice to the young ones of wasps. Acarine is a disease that affects the tracheal system of bees. Varroosis sucks the haemolymph of the bees. American foulbrood kills the larvae. Nosema affects the stomach cells of bees, stops metabolism, and starve to death.
Colony collapse disorder is a phenomenon when majority of workers disappear leaving behind queen, food, and a few nurse or worker bees to take care of the immature bees and the queen.
This disorder causes great economic loss as bees play an important role in pollination of agriculture crops. There are many causes for this such as infection, varroa, Acaropsis mites, malnutrition, genetic factor, immune deficiencies etc.
Agencies involved in apiculture in India are APEDA to help promote export of honey. Under this agency’s guidance and supervision, the Mukyamantri Madhu Vikas Yojana has been introduced to serve subsidiary benefit to farmers. National Bee Board contributes to the overall development of scientific beekeeping and research in India. The Central Bee Research and Training Institute in Pune gives training to beekeepers. Delhi, UP, Haryana, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, East Bihar, West Bengal, and West Rajasthan are improving on beekeeping. Production of honey in India is increasing since 2001. We can easily identify the crystallisation and processing of honey which is a major concern now. If the honey is left in the case, there will be 2 layers of separation on the upper side and middle lower portion. Though we feel this is due to adulteration as many companies add sugar syrup in honey making it not fully pure, we should know that crystallisation can occur normally too. Glucose is the least soluble component and supersaturated in honey which causes crystallisation.
To make beekeeping into a very successful commercial product in India, we have some formulations. FSSAI standards in India says 5% sucrose is good, but the Manuka honey from New Zealand is the most famous in the world with 12% sucrose. The medicinal property of the honey is judged based on the sucrose level. This is a hindrance to our product. The product can be judged based on the molecular markers, and nearly 1 thousand markers are identified so far. There are many more, and we may have a good chance if these are also listed. Also in the case of monoflora honey, the minimum pollen content should not be less than 45%. In case of multiflora honey, also the pollen content should not be more than 45%. These standards are different from what is practised across the globe.
Honey is used as a digital sensor too. They can identify cocaine considered as smuggling objects. Honey bees are fixed in pouch boxes with fitted algorithm and computerised system in such a way that they can work as digital sensors. Beehero has come up with a component kept in the apiary setup, they collect the data from beehive and observe the behavioural system of the bees. They receive signals from the box which they can work on. They get information such as climate, humidity pressure percentage, behavioural pattern, any threat that needs to e sorted out, preventive measures, their feed, opening and closing of the tomb, and any other damage. We can commercialise this and do on a large scale if the government is supportive and offer subsidies. Using honeycomb structures which is an intrinsic design is helpful for scientists in reforming work, building and even in badminton shoes. This allows less raw materials and optimised space. The honeybee products such as honeyspoon popsicles which are made of honey spoons, filled with raw and pure honey. We can also make products like jam using honey and hazelnut, pickles, and honey ginger. We have to focus and make use of the government schemes to start our own venture. Bee venom is the costliest and can fetch us huge price.
What are some new tools that have proved effective in modern beekeeping? How can beekeepers adapt to changes in environmental conditions used in innovations?
Honey extractor, queen bee excluder, honey knife, uncapping or scrapping knife, glove, goggles, protective garments and tools to scrap the honey form the comb are some of the tools used. Molecular markers have proved effective as claimed by scientists. By using the programs mentioned by the government, they should have extension workers to help them. The subsidised extension services and the amount paid to the bee keepers will also help. Each district should have extension services to help the beekeepers get profit. Environment plays a crucial role apart from expertise from scientists which is not easily available to the beekeepers. This bridge has to be closed.
Are there user-friendly technologies for beginners in beekeeping? What is the role of research in developing innovative beekeeping methods?
We need to understand the behaviour of the bees, the commercial varieties, and get training from KVKs. We should use protective measures when we open the cases. We should know how to identify the queen bee, clean up the wax properly, honey to be taken in sanitised container to avoid any contamination, and get acquainted with the process. Using research we have to find out the molecular markers. By this we can find out the medicinal properties which could be higher than Manuka honey. We can analyse the problems of the beekeepers. The hexagonal model is used after lot of research. We can make the product better. When we cultivate good honey or rear bees in a good area, we can see good profit. Research has lot of scope. We have found that crystallisation is not due to adulteration alone but also because of the saturated glucose.
Can you share some successful and sustainable practices in beekeeping? How do innovative techniques contribute to the overall health of bee colonies?
In Hyderabad National Agriculture Management Extension Services, they have founded an organisation developing popsicles from honey, jam, and ready to eat honey. They have commercialised it, obtained license from FSSAI and FDI. Beehero devices monitors the beehives and sends lot of data and tell us the condition of honey bee, humidity, temperature, and pressure. We can take preventive measures accordingly.
What advancements have been made to improve bee welfare? How can beekeepers stay updated about the latest innovation in the field?
The beehive should not be put in shiny or humid places but in shady places with room temperature and in open fields. If it should be monofloral honey, we have to cultivate in a mustard field within a short distance as bees can cover shorter distances only. Subsidies are being provided to beekeepers. The hive should have proximity to market with all facilities such as water, good soil, and open field. It should not be near any industry to avoid pollution. The beekeepers should follow new technologies using the services of extensions. Each district or group of districts should have experts to update the beekeepers about the new technology, innovation, welfare schemes from the government et.
Are there innovative approaches to beekeeping education and training?
Starting from molecular markers, species cultivated, type of shelters, components used for beekeeping and using the components, innovative approaches are being followed. We can develop devices like beehero at low cost to help the beekeepers. These approaches should be implemented in every sector of honeybee or apiary and promoted by government and extension experts.
Mr Subhajit Mukherjee Email: mukherjeesubhajit220@ gmail.com Phone: 8927042727