IMPORTANCE OF WILD HONEY BEES IN COMMERCIAL BEE KEEPING

B.K.Sontakke
All India Co-ordinated Research Project(Honeybee), Department of Entomology,College of Agriculture, O.U.A.T.,Bhubaneswar-751 003.

 Use of honey is known to mankind since vedic times. Rock painting of 7000 BC evidences honey collection as an ancient practice. Honey has sugars (fructose, glucose & sucrose) in simple form and provides instant energy. Honey is used as carrier of Ayurvedic medicines. It is used to cure a host of ailments like cold, fever, piles, anemia and infections in the throat, skin, eye and intestine. Modern science proved that honey has valid medical use owing to its antibacterial activity.

HONEY AS A COMPLETE NATURAL FOOD

Constituent Total dissolved solids Sugars: Fructose
Glucose Sucrose Other higher sugars

% 70-80 38 37 02 0.5 20 0.5

Water Minerals(Potassium,Calcium,Magnesium,Iron,CopperM anganese, Phosphorus, Sulphur, Chlorine,and traces of Chromium, Nickel,Tin,Silver, Gold etc.) Acids Proteins and Amino Acids Enzymes and Vitamins

0.2 0.25 Traces

One Table spoon full of Honey = 21 gms = 67 calories 200 gms or 10 Tbs honey = 1.5 l of Milk

=
= =

1.6 kg of cream cheese

300 gms of meat 8 Oranges

10 Eggs

Honey in the farmers diet makes it balanced

HONEYBEES AS POLLINATORS

About 60-70% agricultural /horticultural crops depend upon honeybees for cross pollination. In oil seed crops 3 - 5 bee colonies can enhance the yield by 33.0 - 69.0%.

Work efficiency of bees

A bee collects 20 mg pollen by visiting 50-200 flowers. It makes 45-47 trips a day for pollen collection. Similarly, 20 mg nectar is collected by visiting 50-500 flowers and makes 20-25 trips a day. Nectar provides energy while, pollen provides protein to bees. In addition they also collect water to maintain hive temperature.

BEE KEEPING AS AN ENTERPRISE

Most suited to landless people or with small land holdings. Does not compete with any branch of agriculture. Does not require continuous labour. Does not require heavy investments. Some equipments are required. Provides multi source income. Improves crop yields through cross pollination.

USEFUL HIVE PRODUCTS

BEE WAX: Church candles, shoe polish, carbon paper, crayon colour pencil, metal castings and moldings, for polishing optical lens, in candy and chewing gums, cosmetics, for musical instruments etc.(Rs.70-120/kg). BEE VENOM: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Nervous disorders (Rs.4700-9400 per gram). ROYAL JELLY: Premature babies, old age related problems, psychiatry, chronic tuberculosis, used in cosmetics, in dermatological preparations and creams/ointments (50-80 US $/kg). PROPOLIS: It is sticky resinous material collected by bees. It has antifungal and antibacterial properties.

Beekeeping: - an enterprise for all

No gender or age bar for beekeeping. Only knowledge to handle the bees and some experience are required for successful beekeeping.

SUCCESS STORIES

TYPES OF HONEYBEES

BEE EQUIPMENTS (MAJOR)

BEE EQUIPMENTS

DESIRABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF BEE COLONIES Adoption to floral resources Reproductive efficiency of queen bee. Easily managed bees. No or little Swarm/Absconding instinct.

Good honey gathers.

Less prone to disease attack.

Capable of over wintering well.

HONEYBEE COLONEY

A colony consists of one Queen, few hundred drones and few thousands workers (sterile females).

QUEEN BEE
Queen cells are formed during JanFeb. Larva excessively fed on royal jelly becomes the queen. Queen survives for 23 years.

QUEEN BEE
Queen lays 1000-1500 eggs per day as per the requirement. Queen regulates life in the hive and acts as the leader of the colony. It is fed on royal jelly and is guarded by a few worker bees. Young queens are preferred over old ones.

Selection of Queen
Young queen is preferred over the old ones to maintain healthy colony. Young queen has the abdomen straight and shining while, in old queen it is bent and dull coloured. Old queen show rat tailed movements.

WORKER BEE

Longevity: 6 wks-6months

DRONES

Drone management
Drones are tolerated by workers till queen is mated. Once queen is mated they are driven out after tearing their wings. Drone trap can be used to remove drones.

Bee Sting

Bee stings when; Adverse weather prevails, Queen cells are formed, Colony remains queen less for long time, Shaking bees off the frame, Any bee is injured while inspecting the box.

Natural Bee Colonies

Natural settled bee colonies and bee swarm colonies can be collected and hived in bee box

Collection of Natural Colonies

Provision of Sugar Solution

Sugar : water solution is given during dearth period 1:1 proportion Rainy and in general 1:2 proportion Summer and for encouraging bees 2:1 proportion Winter

Bee enemy:- Wax moth

Wax moth mostly attack weak colonies during rainy season. Fresh combs are seldom attacked by wax moths. Old combs can be preserved with PDB (20g) or Phostoxin(0.6g) in enclosed container. Clean the bottom board regularly during rainy season.

Bee enemy: Wasp

Wasps are problematic during summer. Destroy the wasp nest. Cover the hive with coconut leaf. Use of sticky traps with bait. Physical collection and destruction.