APICULTURE

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 APICULTURE

The rearing, managing and caring of of

honeybees of a larger scale is called a
apiculture.
Honey produced in bee-hives the source
of honey used in food and medicine.
Wax obtained from these hives is used in
ointment, polishes etc.
 “A bee of a type that
collects nectar and pollen,
produces wax and honey,
and lives in large
communities.”
Types of honey bees
✢ Apis dorsata - Rock bee (Himalaya
species)
✢ Apis cerana indica - Indian hive bee
✢ Apis florea - dwarf bee
✢ Apis mellifera - European or Italian bee
✢ Tetragonula iridipennis - Dammer or
stingless bee
 Apis dorsata
 Apis dorsata bees are the largest of the honey
bee species.
 The Giant honey bee or rock bees (Apis dorsata)
is very large (17–20 mm long) however their
color is quite similar to the European honey bee,
with golden, black and pale bands on the
abdomen and with a hairy thorax.
 They construct single comb in open about 6 feet
long and 3 feet deep.
 They produce about 36 Kg honey per comb per
year.
 Apis cerana indica
 They are the domesticated species.
 It is also called Indian hive bee.
 They produce about 6 to 8 kg honey per comb
per year.
 These bees are larger than Apis florae but
smaller than Apis mellifera.
 They are more prone to swarming and
absconding.
 They are native of India/Asia.
 Apis florea
 It is also called red dwarf honey bee,
which is naturally distributed from the
Indian subcontinent throughout south-
east Asia.
 The Red dwarf honey bee is distinct
red/brown and white and black bands on
the abdomen.
 A foraging worker bee body length is 7–
10 mm, while the forewing length is
between 6.0–6.9 mm.
 Tetragonula iridipennis
 Tetragonula iridipennis, also known as dammer
bee is happens to be the only species of stingless
bees found in most of the North Indian states.
 The traditional uses and clinical applications of
both honey bee and stingless bee honey such
as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory,
anticancer, antihyperlipidemic, and
cardioprotective properties; the treatment of eye
disorders, neurological disorders.
 Apis mellifera
 It is the western honey bee or European honey
bee is the most common of the 7–12 species
of honey bees worldwide.
 vary in size according to their type (queen,
worker or drone), but all are under an inch long.
 Worker bees (10-15mm) are slightly smaller
than drones (15-17mm).
 Queens are the largest (18-20mm).
The individuals of a colony fail into three
castes-

Queen Drones Workers

Fertile female Fertile male Sterile female

 The queen
The queen is the diploid fertile female.
There are is only one queen in a hive.
It has enormously enlarged ovaries and is specialized to lay eggs.
She lays 3000 or move eggs per day and about 15,00,000 eggs in her life time.
The eggs laid down are two type-
Fertilized eggs (2n) that developed into queen and workers and
Unfertilized eggs (n) that developed into males drone.
The queen is unable to gather pollen or nectar or to produce wax and honey.
She is nourished and nursed by the workers.
The queen and workers both develop from the fertilized eggs, but the larva destined to
develop into the queen is fed on special food, the royal jelly, which is the mixture of
digested honey and pollen.
 The workers
The workers are diploid sterile females.
These are smallest of all the three type.
Their body structure is modified for the collection of pollen and nectar from the
flowers.
The workers perform manifold activities.
Some of the workers remain inside the hive only.
These are indoor workers.
These are nurses, builders, repairers, cleaners and farmers.
The nurses look after the nurseries and feed the grubs, some of them attend to the
queen.
The builders manufacture wax and build new combs.
The repairers repair the small crevices in the hive and the cleaners remove wastes
and the dead bodies of grubs and bees form the hive.
Farmers stand in rows and beat their wings to ventilate the comb.
 The Drones
The drones are haploid males.
These are sexually fertile.
These are about 200 drones in a colony.
These are intermediate in size.
These males are seen flying idly near the hive in sunshine.
The males are short- lived.
These are unable to collect food, nectar or honey.
 Economic important
The various product of these
insect i.e. the honey and wax
are being utilized by man from
time immemorial. Honey
makes an important food. The
bee-wax owes medical
importance. Honey-bees also
act as pollinating agents.
Honey Chemical
composition
Ash- 1.00%
Water-17.20%
Enzyme-2.21%
Maltose- 8.81%
Levulose-
38.10%
Dextrose-2.28%
Natural enemies
✢ Conopid Flies ✢ wax moths
✢ Varroa Mite ✢ ants
✢ Pollen Mites ✢ bee lice
✢ Wasps and ✢ hive beetles
Hornets ✢ mice
✢ Spiders ✢ skunks and bears
✢ Racoons ✢ Phoretic Mites.
✢ Bird Pre
 Life
History
Nupital flight and copulation-
About a week after emergence the new queen makes her first aerial
flight followed by a swarm of drones. Mating occurs in the mid-air and
the queen receives the spermatophore from the drone. The sperms are
stored in the spermatotheca of queen and are utilized in fertilizing the
eggs throughout the life of queen. The genital parts of drone are forced
out with such pressure that it dies immediately after mating. The part
after copulation falls to the ground and queen returns to its hive not
leaving it again until she leads a prime swarm. The remains of male
genital organ are removed from the end of her abdomen by the queen
 Life
History
Egg-
Egg laying start 3 or 4 days after copulation. The eggs are of two
types- fertilized(2n) eggs developing into queens and workers and
haploid eggs developing into drones, and are laid into separate
chambers. The fertilized eggs are laid into workers or queen chamber,
while the unfertilized into drone chamber. The eggs are elongated and
pinkish.
 Life
History
Development and caste system-
During favorable condition the egg hatches into the larva within 3 days.
The larva is small and without limbs and eyes. It is known as grub. The
larvae are fed by the workers. While the drones develop from
unfertilized eggs, the formation of queen and workers depends upon the
quality of food provide to larva. For first two days all the groups are fed
upon the royal jelly composed of honey and pollen mixed with the
glandular secretion of workers inside their mouth. After two days the
group being provided with royal jelly develop into queen, while the
other receiving increasing amounts of honey develop into workers. The
drone are fed upon honey.
 History
The grubs grow and moult several times and on ninth day each cell
containing a group is sealed with wax-cup and the larva changes into the
pupa. The pupa develops inside, secretes a thin silken cocoon and
undergoes complete metamorphosis. The adult emerges out of the
chamber by cutting the cell-cup with its mandibles. The period of pupa
varies for each caste. The queen hatches out in about 13 days, worker in
18 days and drone I 21 days.
At the approach of winter, the drones are pushed out of the
hive and only the queen and workers live there to pass over the
unfavorable period feeding over the stored honey and pollens. The
drones are either stung to death by workers or die of cold and hunger.
 Methods of apiculture

Indigenou Modern
s method method
 Indigenous Methods of
apiculture
This are two popular methods of apiculture in India-
(i) Wall or fixed hives- This type of hive are constructed by honey bees on the
walls or tree- twigs. Hives are open only on one side for the entry of honey bees.
(ii)Movable hives- These hives are made either in wooden boxes or in earthen
pots. Hives are open at both ends. Rectangular wood or plastic frames are used to
support the combs.

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Extraction of honey
Fire is burnt near the hive at
night. Bees fly away then hive
is cut into pieces.

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 Modern Methods of apiculture
This is more advanced method in apiculture. It has now achieved the
level of small industry and provides employment to thousand of people.
The process involves-
1-Movable hive
i. Bottom board
ii. Brood chamber
iii. Super chamber
iv. Inner cover
v. Outer cover
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 Modern Methods of apiculture
2-Queen excluder- This is formed of wire and the holes are about 0.3-
0.75 mm wide. Drones and worker bees can pass through the hive.

3-Honey extractor- This is used to collect honey from the hive

without causing it any damage. It works on the principle of centrifuge.

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