AEN 451- COMMERCIAL

BEE KEEPING (0+10)

Submitted to, Submitted by,
MR.K.THIRUVENGADAM SIVAKARTHIKKEYEN N
Asst.prof(AEN)
2018028090
TOPIC

FLORAL CALENDER FOR HORTICULTURE

CROPS
INTRODUCTION

FLORAL CALENDER:
It basically shows what kind of flowers are available for the bees from
January to December. Using the calendar, farmers and beekeepers can
move and place their bee colonies accordingly for efficient nectar and
pollen gathering.
DEARTH PERIOD:
Flowers are not available during some period of a year. This period is
called dearth period.
Bee domestication species

In scientific beekeeping, three species of bees viz. Indian hive bee,

(Apis cerena indica), Italian bees (Apis mellifera) and the stingless
bees (Trigona) have been successfully hived, managed and utilized
for production of honey, other hive products and managed bee
pollination.
PREPARATION AND STEPS OF FLORAL
CALENDER

Preparation of the floral map and floral calendar can be done by

adopting the following steps:
i) Through seasonal survey of the locality to identify nectar and
pollen yielding plants and recording the bee activities.
ii) Recording flowering time and duration.
iii) Checking whether the flora is source of surplus honey collection
or not.
• It is very simple to identify a nectar and pollen yielding plant
species in your locality. Simply observe the movement of bee
around the flower. If the bees sit on the flower then it should be
marked as nectar containing flower. Nectar collecting bees insert
their tongue in the nectaries and identify the suitability of the
flora for the source of pollen or nectar.
• Apis mellifera bees generally visit flowers within 1-3 km radius.
The cerana indica covers 1-1.5 km. Thus, for a successful
beekeeping, abundant bee flora with extended period of flowering
should be available within this range around the apiary. Further,
density of bee hives in a unit area depends upon richness of
available flora. Over crowding of bee hives will lead to the poor
honey yield as well as other complications such as drifting and
robbing.
SI.N COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME FAMILY FLOWERING BEE FORAGE VALUE
O PERIOD
NECTAR POLLEN NECTAR+POLLEN

1 Tamarind Tamarindus Fabaceae May-june N1 P3 N+P

indica

2 Coconut Cocos micifera Arecaceae May N1 P1 N

3 Aonla Emblica Phyllantha Mar-Apr N1 P1 N+P
officinalis ceae

4 Bittergourd Momordica Cucubitac Mar-Sep N3 P3 N+P

charanta eae

5 Bottlegourd Lagenaria Cucurbita June-Nov - - N2+P2

vilgaris ceae

6 Drumstick Moringa olifera Feb - Apr - - N1+P2

Moringace
ae
SI.N COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME FAMILY FLOWERING BEE FORAGE VALUE
O PERIOD
NECTAR POLLEN NECTAR+POLLEN

7 Coffee Coffea Rubiaceae Feb - March N1 P1 N+P

bengalensis

8 Lemon Citrus spp Rutaceae Dec – Mar N1 P1 N+P

9 Arecanut Areca catecha Arecaceae Jan - Mar N1 P1 N+P

10 Ashgourd Benincasa Cucubits Oct - Nov N3 P3 N+P

hispida
11 Banana Musa spp Musaceae Jan - Dec N1 P3 N+P

12 Brinjal Solanum Solanacea Jun - Sep - P3 -

melongena e
SI.NO COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME FAMILY FLOWERING BEE FORAGE VALUE
PERIOD
NECTAR POLLEN NECTAR+POLLEN

13 Cashewnut Anacardium Anacardia Apr - May N2 P1 N+P

accidentale ceae

14 Cherry Prunus avium Rosaceae Nov – Feb N2 P2 N+P

15 Chow chow Sechium edule Feb - Apr N2 P2 N+P
Cucurbitac
eae

16 Cucumber Cucumis sativus Cucubitac Mar - May N3 P2 N+P

eae
17 Chilly Capsicum annum Musaceae July - Aug N3 P3 N+P

18 Citrus Citrus limon Rutaceae Apr N1 P1 N+P

SI.NO COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME FAMILY FLOWERING BEE FORAGE VALUE
PERIOD
NECTAR POLLEN NECTAR+POLLEN

19 Bhendi Abelmoschus Malvaceae Jun – Aug N1 P1 N+P

esculentus Mar - Apr

20 Pomegranate Punica granatum Mar - Jun - - N2+P1

Punicacea
e
21 Silkgourd Luffa acutangula Cucurbitac July - Oct - - N1+P1
eae

22 Pumpkin Cucurbita pepo Cucubits Aug - Oct - - N2+P2

23 Custard apple Annona squamosa Annonacea Aug - Oct - - N1+P2
e

24 Coriander Coriandrum Apiaceae Jan - Dec - - N1+P2

sativum
SI.NO COMMON NAME BOTANICAL NAME FAMILY FLOWERING BEE FORAGE VALUE
PERIOD
NECTAR POLLEN NECTAR+POLLEN

25 Watermelon Citrullus lanatus cucurbitac July - Aug - P1 -

eae

26 Passion fruit Passiflora spp Passiflorac Jan - Jun N2 P2 N+P

eae
27 Star fruit Averrhoa Sep – Oct N1 P2 N+P
carambola Oxalidace Jan - Mar
ae

28 Sweet lime Citrus Rutaceae Nov - Mar - - N2+P2

aurantifolia
29 Barbados lily Hippeastrum June N3 P3 N+P
puniceum Amaryllida
ceae
30 Litchi Litchi chinensis Feb - mar N1 P1 N+P
Sapindace
ae
 CONCLUSION
Month Crop Month Crop

January Mango, Guava, Sapota, Amla July Sunflower

Febraury Mango, Guava, Sapota, Amla August Dearth period

March Mango, Guava, Sapota, Amla, Neem, September Dearth period

Pungam, Sandal
April Neem, Pungam, Sandal October Dearth period

May Jamun, Erukam November Sunflower, Eucalyptus

June Tamarind December Lemon, Bottlebrush tree

Crops available for honey bees throughout the year are Coconut, Tecoma, Railway creeper
(Antigona sp).
THANKYOU