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Apiculture can be defined as a scientific method of rearing honey bees for production of several products of commercial use such as honey and wax. We all have come across a bee hive or have seen it somewhere around our house or school. It could be seen on tall trees, poles and even on roofs of some tall buildings. We know that honey is made by these bees and we obtain it from their hives. Honey is a good source of antioxidants and also has antibacterial and antifungal properties. It is filled with nutrients and is very much a part of our dishes and food due its taste and long shelf life.
In this article, we will study more about the process of beekeeping, colonies of bees, production of honey and other commercial products etc.
Key Terms: Beehive, Honey, Apiaries, Genus, Species, Pollen, Reproduction, Nectar, Larva
What is Apiculture?
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Apiculture refers to the scientific method of nurturing and rearing bees to acquire bee products. Apart from honey we also get royal jelly, beeswax, bee pollen and flower pollen from these bees. 'Apis' is a Latin word which means bee and thus the word 'Apiculture' originated from it. The bees used in the process of Apiculture belong to the genus Apis along with other honey producing, stingless bees such as Melipona bees.
In apiculture, bees are bred commercially in apiaries. It refers to an area where beehives are kept. Generally, apiaries are set up in areas where sufficient bee pastures are available and are managed by a beekeeper. Another term used for apiaries is bee yard.
Process of Beekeeping
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A collection of hives or bees, kept for production of honey and other bee products is called an apiary. The honey made by bees is kept as food as it provides energy to them and also helps in heating of the hives during winters. But bees make more than required, which makes it possible for keepers to harvest it without harming the bees. The colour and taste varies and is based on the nectar collected by the bees.
Beekeepers harvest the produced honey by collecting honeycomb frames. They scrape off the wax cap to seal off honey in each cell. After removing caps, the frames are placed in an extractor. After extraction, it is strained to remove remaining wax. The honey, after this is bottled up and sold.
Working of Beehives
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In a colony there are thousands of bees, but not all of them collect nectar- a sugary juice which bees collect from the blossom by sucking it out using their tongues. Nectar is only collected by worker bees who store it in their bee stomach which is different from their food stomach. After they have collected enough for their stomach, they fly back to the hive.
In a beehive, the Queen bee and female bees lay thousands of eggs which are fertilised by a drone bee. Royal jelly is fed to larvae and the feeding duration decides its role as a queen or worker.
Colony of Honeybees
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Honey bees live in colonies known as beehives. They are social, polymorphic insects and in every colony they are divided into three categories, namely,
- Queen Bee: Queen bee, as the name suggests, is the supreme bee.
- Drones: Drones are comparatively smaller in size from the Queen Bee and are responsible for fertilisation of eggs.
- Workers: They belong to the lowest cast and are the most active members of the colony.
Colony of Honeybees
Common Varieties of Bees
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Generally, bee species with genus ‘Apis’ are the one usually brooded by the keepers as they are the one who produce honey. Common species of honey bees reared are:
- Apis dorsata: Known as rock bee, it's a giant bee which produces around 38 to 40 kg of honey per colony.
- Apis indica: It is the most commonly used honey bee and is quite easy to domesticate. It is also known as the Indian bee and produces around 2 to 5 kg per colony.
- Apis florea: Honey extraction is easiest from this bee as it rarely stings. Though it only produces 1 kg of honey per colony, it is also called little bee.
- Apis mellifera: It is known as Italian bee, and as the name suggests, it is not locally found. However it does produce a high amount of honey because of which they are reared by beekeepers. It also has a very typical dance routine which indicates availability of food around and also stings less.
Products Obtained in Apiculture
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Some of the products obtained by apiculture other than honey and wax are:
- Pollen: Pollen refers to the small reproduction units produced in the anthers.
- Royal Jelly: This product is provided as a food to larvae. It is rich with protein and works as a source of energy and growth to the queen bee.
- Venom: It is used in the bee sting and has medical uses.
Importance of Beekeeping
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The products obtained from bees are an integral part of our food and medicines. Hence, below mentioned facts indicate the importance of beekeeping:
- Honey produced is an important part of our culture and food. It can be consumed as it is or even as a supplement.
- Bee wax is used in cosmetic industries, pharmaceuticals etc.
- Honey bees help in pollination which helps in the yield of several crops.
- Venom is used in many medicines and research works.
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Things to Remember
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- Apiculture refers to commercial breeding of bees to obtain bee products.
- Beekeeping is another term for apiculture. It has a significant role in our economy.
- Other than honey, products like flower pollen, bee pollen, venom, wax and royal jelly are obtained from bees.
- Honey produced by bees is used not only in food but also has medicinal uses.
- In a colony of bees, there is a Queen Bee, a Male Drone and Worker Bees.
- Most commonly reared bees belong to the genus Apis.
Sample Questions
Ques. Define Apiculture. (2 marks)
Ans. The scientific practice of keeping, caning and managing honey bees on a large scale for the purpose of obtaining honey, wax and other products known as apiculture. Apiculture is a word derived from the Latin word 'apis' meaning bee. Mostly, bees of genus Apis are used in the process of apiculture. Generally, apiaries are set up in areas where sufficient bee pastures are available and are managed by a beekeeper.
Ques. What is nectar? How bees collect nectar? (2 marks)
Ans. Nectar is a sugary juice which bees collect from the blossom by sucking it out using their tongues. Nectar mainly is a watery solution of glucose, sugar fructose and sucrose. It also contains traces of protein, essential oils, salts etc. Honey bees collect nectar from blossoms. They rarely collect nectar containing less than 15% of water. They collect them in their honey stomach and fly back to the colony where processor bees help to make honey from the nectar.
Ques. How do beekeepers obtain honey? (2 marks)
Ans. The process of collecting honey starts with beekeepers collecting honeycomb frames. They then go on to scrape off the wax cap to seal off honey in each cell. After removing the caps, the frames are then placed in an extractor which helps in refining the honey further. After extraction, it is strained to remove remaining wax. The honey, after this is bottled up and sold.
Ques. How does honey from different bee yards vary in taste and colour? (2 marks)
Ans. The quality of the honey depends on the pasturage whereas the colour and taste of honey depends on the nectar collected by the bees. Honey made from light colored flowers will also be light in colour whereas nectar from wildflowers will have a dark amber colour. More the abundance of flowers
Ques. What do you mean by artificial ripening of honey? (2 marks)
Ans. The worker bees are responsible for collecting nectar from the flowers. They collect and store them in their other stomach which is different from their food stomach, known as honey stomach. The worker bee takes this nectar to the processor bees who add enzymes and help in ripening of this nectar. This process of naturally ripening is called natural ripening of honey. But sometimes due to some reason natural ripening is not possible. The processor bee mainly removes moisture from the nectar, but when it is not possible the moisture is artificially removed from the nectar in order to make honey. This is called artificial ripening of honey.
Ques. How to differentiate between Queen Bee, drone bees and worker bees? (2 marks)
Ans. Some of the characteristic features on the basis of which we can distinguish bees in a beehive are:
- Queen Bee: Queen Bee looks similar to any other bee but her abdomen is twice the length of them.
- Worker Bee: Worker Bees are easy to distinguish; they look like any common bee.
- Drone Bee: Drone Bee is larger in size than the worker bees and is fussier.
Ques. Why are honey bees not found in areas with high temperatures? (2 marks)
Ans. Honey bees cannot withstand high temperatures, hence, they are mostly found in colder regions. The hives of honey bees are mostly found in or near gardens, woodlands, orchards, meadows and other areas where there are abundant flowering plants. Honeybees also live underground. They possess the capability of keeping themselves warm when the temperature is too low.
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