Apiculture

Apiculture definition

The definition of apiculture or beekeeping is the cultivation and maintenance of colonies of bees by artificial or natural means to harvest the products obtained from hives. Apiculture has been a part of human culture since antiquityTherefore apiculture, by definition, is a part of agriculture.

1. Sometimes, colonies are also maintained to pollinate crops or sell bees to other beekeepers.
2. Apiculture yields honey, beeswax, propolis, royal jelly and bee pollen. 
3. Bee species belonging to the genus Apis are used most regularly in apiculture. Thus the term apiculture.
4. The fields or areas where the colony is kept is called an apiary or a bee yard.

History

• Clay jars dating back to almost 9000 BCE were found to have been used for beekeeping. 
• Ancient Egyptians cultivated honey in their lives as far back as 4500 BCE.
• 18th-century European natural history philosophers brought scientific methods to apiculture. This helped to introduce advancements in the field and made apiculture economically viable.

History of comb hive

1. In earlier forms of apicultural practice, harvesting meant the destruction of the bee colony.
2. Bees were smoked and the honeycomb broke, thus destroying the whole colony.
3. Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth invented the movable  hive in the 19th century.
4. He took Huber’s idea of the bee space, the space the bees left between combs to allow for movement.
5. It had wooden frames that could be slid into boxes ‘bee space’ apart.
6. Honey could now be collected without harming the combs because the apiarist just pulled each comb out for collection.
7. The frames could be re-inserted into the boxes, and the bees could refill them.
8. This invention took beekeeping from the start and stop activity to a commercially profitable venture.

The scientific study of bees

1. The 18th century devised novel ways of studying hive activity, like building glass-walled observation hives and dissecting bees under microscopes.

2. People began to study the habits and environments of bees. For example, they were now able to understand the social structure in great detail.

3. The improved knowledge contributed to even more innovations in apiculture.

4. It was now easy to understand how the bees birthed and reared their young.

5. So, apiarists provided conducive environments for their bee colonies.

François Huber is considered the father of modern bee science. He made significant contributions to our understanding of the biology and ecology of bees.

Apiculture classification

Apiculture can be classified into primitive and modern beekeeping.

Primitive beekeeping

This is often carried out with less advanced techniques. Beehives are of two kinds:

1. Movable hives
   1. Made from logs, pots, gourds etc.
   2. Placed in forests during swarming season, the time of year when bee colonies move about in search of a place to build their hives.
   3. Bees collect in these places and build their hives.
   4. Honey is collected by opening these artificial hives in harvesting season.
2. Fixed hives
   1. Made by making hollow spaces in walls.
   2. Narrow opening for the bees and a large covered opening for the removal of the combs at harvest.

Modern beekeeping

1. Involves the use of scientific methods of bee rearing.
2. Take into account the cycle of the bees, their pollen and nectar needs etc.
3. Defining character is the movable comb hive.

This is the main classification of apiculture in today’s world. Primitive apiculture is often carried out in the informal sector of the industry. But modern ways are far more efficient.

Types of honeybees

The genus Apis is used most commonly in apiculture and four of its species are now found in India. They are:

Apis mellifera/Western honeybee/European bee 

1.     Preferred by apiarists for its high honey production. Nearly 36kg of honey is produced per comb in a year by these bees.
2.     A bit on the larger size and light in colour.
3.     Introduced in India from the USA and Europe
4.     Prone to diseases; whole colonies are vulnerable to total destruction.

Apis cerana indica/Asiatic honeybee

1.     Found in southern Asia, from Afghanistan to Indonesia and even in some parts of Malaysia and Japan. It produces about 7- 10 kg of honey per year.
2.     It is a subspecies found in the wild in the Indian Himalayan belt.
3.     Can exist in temperatures as low as 0°C. 
4.     It can be domesticated since it has a mild temperament.
5.     Horizontal black and yellow stripes on its abdomen, moderate in size.

Apis dorsata/Rock bee

1.     Fierce temperament. They are difficult to domesticate.
2.     Found in the wild in most parts of Asia
3.     Build their hives in exposed places far from the ground. 
4.     Hives found high up in tree branches, cliff faces or even roofs and ceilings of buildings. They produce about 30 kg of honey per year.

Apis florea/Dwarf honey bee/Bush bee

1. Smallest and the oldest bee species.
2. Brownish in colour and the bottom of the abdomen is always red-hued.

Honey production in the world

China is the leading exporter of honey in the world. Other notable exporters include Turkey, USA, Iran, Russia, Ukraine, India, Mexico, Brasil, Canada, Malaysia, Germany, Bulgaria, New Zealand, Spain.

70% of India’s honey output comes from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Bihar. According to the National Bee Board:

1.     India’s honey export in 2017-2018 was 1.05 lakh metric tonnes
2.     India’s honey export in 2005-2006 was 35000 metric tonnes. 

There are about 3.4 million bee colonies in India, today, with a potential of a further 200 million such colonies. 

Products of apiculture

Apiculture provides several useful products. Let us see some of these uses:

• Honey – used widely in food worldwide, contains certain healing properties.
• Propolis – resin-like material, is used for building the hive and can have anti-inflammatory properties.
• Beeswax – candles that burn cleaner, an ingredient in oil paint.
• Apitoxin – anti-inflammatory properties.
• Bee pollen – high nutritional content.

Sustainable practices: apiculture examples

• Keeping extra bee colonies.
• Keeping a flower-rich environment.
• Ensuring plenty of nectar, resin and pollen.

Apiculture examples of sustainable practices aim at maintaining healthful bee colonies, which provide a feasible source of income for beekeepers.

Conclusion

Today, some organisations are trying to introduce apiculture as a solution to poverty by introducing people to apiculture as independent employment while also promoting conservation. Such programs are being tried out in Africa and some claim that they will be able to alleviate the effects of tree cutting by as much as 70%. As students of science, it is more imperative now than ever before to study ways to help create sustainable, environment-friendly systems and programs.