Apiculture is the commercial rearing of honeybees for honey, beeswax, and pollination, gaining popularity in India with significant production and consumption statistics. Various honeybee species, such as Apis dorsata, Apis indica, and Apis mellifera, have distinct characteristics and contributions to honey production and pollination. The document also explains different beekeeping methods, equipment, the composition and preservation of honey, its economic importance, and common bee diseases.

2.  REARING OF HONEYBEES ON A COMMERCIAL LEVEL
TO EXTRACT HONEY , BEESWAX , PROPOLIS AND
OTHER PRODUCTS ON ECONOMIC LEVEL IS TERMED
AS APICULTURE
 APIS – HONEY BEE CULTURE – TO REAR
 APICULTURE IS BECOMING POPULAR IN INDIA NOT
ONLY FOR HONEY BUT ALSO FOR CULTIVATED
PLANTS AND POLLINATORS
 CBRTI – IMPORTANT INSTITUTE LOCATED IN PUNE
APICULTURE

3. MY VISIT TO CBRTI

4.  A beekeeper keeps bees in order to collect their honey and
other products that the hive produce to pollinate crops, or to
produce bees for sale to other beekeepers. A location where
bees are kept is called an apiary.
 Apiculture in India
Production of honey in metric tonnes - 52.23
Consumption of honey in metric tonnes – 45
Number of bee hives - 9,800,000
 Average honey yeild is 5kg/colony/year
GENERAL INFORMATION

6.  PHYLUM – ARTHROPODA
 CLASS – INSECTA
 SUBCLASS – PTERYGOTA
 INFRACLASS – ENDOPTERYGOTA
 ORDER – HYMENOPTERA
 FAMILY - APIDAE
 GENUS – APIS
 SPECIES – dorsata , mellifera ,
Indica , florea
CLASSIFICATION OF HONEY BEE

7.  COMMONLY KNOWN AS ROCK BEE
 LARGEST BEE AROUND 20mm IN LENGTH
 GIANT HONEY BEE , SARANG , BOMBARA OTHER NAMES.
 YEILDS MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF HONEY AS COMPARED TO
OTHER SPECIES I.E. 60 POUNDS OF HONEY ALMOST.
 WORKERS MAY POLLINATE 12,000 FLOWERS DAILY
 HAVE FERROCIOUS AND IRRITABLE NATURE. DUE TO
MIGRATORY HABIT IT IS PRACTICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO
DOMESTICATE THEM FOR BEE KEEPING INDUSTRY.
 THERE POISON CAN EVEN LEAD TO DEATH.
Apis dorsata

9.  INDIAN BEE
 COMMONLY FOUND IN FOREST AND PLAIN REGIONS OF INDIA
 PREFER TO LIVE IN DARK SPACES AND CONSTRUCT PARALLEL
COMBS IN CAVITIES OF TREE TRUNKS MUD WALLS ETC.
 SPECIES IS EXTREMELY GENTLE AND FRIENDLY SO CAN BE
DOMESTICATED EASILY
 PRODUCTION OF HONEY IS REALLY LESS I.E. 6-7 POUNDS PER
COLONY
 COMMONLY USED IN INDIAN APIARIES
Apis indica

11.  COMMONLY CALLED AS LITTLE BEE
 THIS IS SMALLER IN SIZE THAN FIRST 2 BEES
 IT YEILDS SMALLER AMOUNT OF HONEY
 BEES ARE NOT GREGARIOUS IN NATURE AND FORM
A SINGLE COMB
 DUE TO ITS DOCILE NATURE AND RARE STINGING
BEHAVIOUR THE COMBS CAN BE REMOVED EASILY
FOR HONEY EXTRACTION.
Apis florea

13.  EUROPEAN BEE
 THIS BEE PRODUCES LESS HONEY BUT IN
ENVIRONMENTAL POINT OF VIEW IT IS BEST
 THEY CAN BE DOSMESTICATED REALLY EASILY AND
BREEDING IMPROVED EASILY.
 IT IS USED IN LARGE SCALE IN EUROPE AND AMERICA
FOR ARTIFICIAL HIVES
 EXCELLENT POLLINATORS
 ½ KG HONEY PER COMB
 THIN HONEY CONSISTENCY
Apis mellifera

15.  HIGHLY ORGANISED DIVISION OF LABOUR IS
OBSERVED IN HONEYBEES
 WELL DEVELOPED COLONY OF BEES CONSIST OF 40-
50 K INDIVIDUALS OF 3 CASTES : QUEEN , WORKER ,
DRONES.
 UNFERTILISED EGGS - DRONES
 FERTILISED EGGS - WORKERS AND QUEEN - FED
WITH ROYAL JELLY
SOCIAL ORGANISATION IN
HONEYBEE

17.  WELL DEVELOPED FERTILE FEMALE
 MOTHER OF COLONY WITH ONLY DUTY OF EGG LAYING. FED
ON ROYAL JELLY
 15-20MM LENGHT, TAPERING ABDOMEN, SHORT LEGS AND
WINGS.
 OVIPOSITOR CUM STING PRESENT FOR EGG LAYING.
 DURING NUPTIAL FLIGHT DRONE FERTILISES QUEEN 1500-2000
EGGS LAID DEPENDING UPON SEASONAL VARIATION AND
ECOLOGICAL FACTORS.
 WHEN QUEEN LOSES ABILITY OF EGG LAYING NEW QUEEN
EMERGES
 QUEEN SECRETES PHEROMONES THAT REGULATES ENTIRE
COLONY
QUEEN BEE

18.  SMALLEST OF THREE CASTES
 PRODUCED FROM FERTILISED EGGS LAID IN
WORKER CELL
 21 DAYS FOR DEVELOPMENT LIFE SPAN 6 WEEKS
 INDOOR AS WELL AS OUTDOOR DUTIES.
WORKER BEE
HOUSE
BEE
NURSERY
BEE
BUILDERS REPAIRER
S
CLEANERS FANNERS GUARD
BEE
COLLECT
NECTAR
WATER
ATTEND
QUEEN
AND
DRONES
PRODUCE
WAX AND
REPAIR
HIVE
COMB
REPAIRING
REMOVIN
G
IMPURITIE
S AND
DEAD
BODIES
MAINTAIN
ENCE OF
HIVE
TEMPERAT
URE BY
FANNING
WATCH
FOR ANY
DANGER
TO HIVE

19.  LONG PROBOSCIS - SUCKING NECTAR
 STRONG WINGS - FANNING
 POLLEN BASKETS - POLLEN COLLECTION
 STING - DEFENSE
 WAX GLAND - WAX SECRETION
WORKER BEE MODIFICATIONS

21.  MALE MEMBER DEVELOPED FROM UNFERTILISED EGG CALLED
KING OF COLONY
 ONLY WORK OF FERTILISING FEMALES
 STING AS WELL AS WAX GLANDS ABSENT
 TOTALLY DEPENDANT ON WORKERS
 AT TIME OF SWARMING DRONE FOLLOWS QUEEN COPULATES
AND DIES
 SUN BASKERS
DRONES

22. LIFE CYCLE

23. LIFE CYCLE

24.  NEEM
 JAMUN
 SOAPNUT
 MAIZE
 ROSE
 SORGHUM
 PLUM
 CHERRY
 APPLE
 MUSTURD
 COCONUT
APICULTURE FLORA

25. SELECTION OF BEES FOR
APICULTURE
 GENTLE TEMPERAMENT
 SHOULD HAVE CAPABILITY TO CONSTRUCT STRONG
COLONY
 ABILITY TO PROTECT FROM ENEMIES
 ENERGETIC AND INDUSTRIOUS WORKERS
 LARGE AMOUNT HONEY YEILDING CAPACITY
 EASY MIGRATION LESS ABSCONDING
 GENTLE NATURE OBSERVED
 PROFOLIC WORKERS

26. METHODS OF BEE KEEPING
INDIGENEOUS MODERN

27. INDIGENOUS METHOD
 TWO TYPES OF HIVES ARE USED IN THIS TYPE OF METHOD
 WALL OR FIXED HIVE - PURELY NATURAL TYPE OF HIVE AS
BUILT BE BEES THEMSELVES ON WALL OR TREES. OPENING
ON ONE SIDE FOR BEE ENTRANCE.
 MOVABLE HIVE - HOLLOW WOOD LOGS, EMPTY BOXES AND
EARTHEN POTS IN VERANDAS. TWO HOLES ONE FOR
ENTRANCE AND EXIT OF BEES. SWARM CLUSTERS KEPT IN
HIVE

28. INDIGENEOUS METHOD

29. EXTRACTION OF HONEY -
INDIGENEOUS METHOD
 FOR HONEY EXTRACTION , BURNING FIRE IS
BROUGHT NEAR THE BEE HIVE AT NIGHT.
 AS A RESULT THE BEES EITHER ARE KILLED OR THEY
ESCAPE OFF
 FURTHER THE HIVE FULL OF HONEY IS REMOVED, CUT
INTO PIECES AND SQUEEZED TO REMOVE HONEY.
 SOMETIMES SMOKING IS DONE TO ESCAPE HONEY
BEES

30. DRAWBACKS OF INDIGENEOUS
METHOD
 HONEY BECOMES IMPURE AS DURING SQUEEZING
BROOD CELLS, POLLEN , LARVAE ALSO GETS MIXED
 COLONY BECOMES WEAK AS KILLING OF EGGS AND
LARVAE TAKES PLACE
 HONEY ROBBERS LIKE MONKEYS WASPS MAY
AFFECT HIVE VERY EASILY.
 CLIMATIC HAZARDS MAY NOT BE CONTROLLED

31. MODERN METHOD
LANGSTROTH
HIVE IS MOST
COMMONLY
USED IN INDIA.

32. APPLIANCES FOR MODERN METHOD
 TYPICAL MOVABLE HIVE
 QUEEN EXCLUDER
 HONEY EXTRACTOR
 UNCAPPING KNIFE
 OTHER EQUIPMENTS

33. TYPICAL MOVABLE HIVE
 AN
ARTIFICIALMOVABLE
HIVE IS CONSTRUCTED
BY WOODEN BOX.
 SIZE AND NUMBER OF
FRAMES ARE VARIABLE
 PERFORATION SIZE IS
0.375 THORAX OR
QUEEN IS OF 0.45 CM
SO SHE CANNOT PASS
THROUGH IT

34. PARTS OF TYPICAL MOVABLE HIVE
 STAND - BASAL PART ON ENTIRE HIVE IS CONSTRUCTED.
ADJUSTED ALONG WITH SLOPE OF LAND
 BOTTOM BOARD - SITUATED ABOVE BASE. HAVE 2 GATES IN
FRONT ONE FOR ENTRANCE OTHER FOR EXIT.
 BROOD CHAMBER - HAS 5-10 FRAMES. IN EACH FRAME WAX
SHEET WITH HEXAGONAL FRAMES HELD UP BY WIRES.
ALONG MARGINS BEE START CONSTRUCTION OF HIVE.PUT
VERTICALLY.
 SUPER CHAMBER - IT IS WITHOUR COVER AND BASE. MANY
FRAMES FOR HIVE EXTENSION.

35. PARTS OF TYPICAL MOVABLE HIVE
 INNER COVER - WOODEN PIECE USED TO COVER THE
SUPER. IT HAS MANY HOLES FOR VENTILATION.
 TOP COVER - MEANT FOR COLONY PROTECTION FROM
RAINS.FITTED WITH ZN SHEETS WHICH IS PLAIN AND
SLOPING.
 QUEEN EXCLUDER - CONSISTS OF WIRE GAUZE , EXTRANS
GUARDS AND DRONE TRAPS WITH INDIVIDUAL WIRES
0.375 CM APART. IT READILY PERMITS WORKERS TO PASS
THROUGH IT BUT EXLUDES QUEEN TO PASS THROUGH IT.

36. HONEY EXTRACTOR
 USED FOR EXTRACTION
OF HONEY FROM
COMB
 FUNCTIONS ON
PRINCIPLE OF
CENTRIPETAL FORCE
 PURE HONEY IS
THROWN OUT
WITHOUT ANY
DAMAGE TO COMB.

37. UNCAPPING KNIFE
 WHEN ALL COMBS ARE
FILLED WITH HONEY
THEY ARE SEALED BY
CAPPING WITH WAX
 WAX SEAL IS REMOVED
WITH STEAM HEATED
UNCAPPING KNIFE

38. SMOKER
 IT IS A DEVICE USED TO
CALM HONEY BEES IN
ORDER TO EXAMINE
THEM OR FOR HONEY
EXTRACTION.
 HESSIANS FABRIC,
ROTTEN WOODS ,
COTTON ETC IS
COMMONLY USED.

39. BEE VEIL
 IT PROTECTS BEEKEEPER
FROM STINGS.
 CONSISTS OF WIRE VEIL
LINED WITH CLOTH.
 ADVANTAGE IS THAT IT IS
LIGHT WEIGHT AND EASY
FOR STORAGE.

40. BEE BRUSH
 SOFT BRISTLED BRUSH
USED TO GENTLY
HARMLESSLY REMOVE
BEES FROM SURFACE.
 IF USED PROPERLY IT
DOESNT HARM THE BEES.

41. FEEDING BEES
 RAPID FEEDERS - These feeders comprise of a tray which is placed over
the hive to which bees have access from below by means of a hole or slot
arranged to stop them drowning. Versions known as Miller or Ashforth
are made to the same dimensions of the hive and are placed directly on
top of the brood frames. They can feed up to about 10L at a time
 CONTACT FEEDERS - This is a plastic bucket with a lid fitted with a gauze
centre section. The bucket is filled with sugar syrup and then inverted
over an empty container to catch the small amount of syrup that will pass
through the gauze before atmospheric pressure in the bucket drops thus
holding the syrup in the feeder. It is then placed on the hive with the
gauze patch over the crown board feeder hole.
 FRAME FEEDERS - These are containers that look like a brood frame with
a slot at the top and have a float inside to prevent bees drowning. They
are filled by pouring prepared syrup through the slot.

42. SUGAR SYRUP RECIPE
 Basic ingredients: White granulated sugar, water Warning
– Do not use brown or raw sugars as they contain
impurities.
 Thick Sugar Syrup: 1 Kg of granulated sugar to 630 ml of
water (2 lb sugar to 1 pt of water)
 Thin Sugar Syrup: 1 Kg of granulated sugar to 1L of water (2
lb sugar to 2 pt of water)
 There is no need to boil the mixture but heating the water
helps. Stir regularly to dissolve all the sugar. When fully
dissolved the mixture is clear and a very pale straw colour.

43. FEED ENHANCERS
 VitaFeed Patty: Pollen-rich feed that is best used in autumn
to create strong winter bees
 VitaFeed Power: A liquid nutritional supplement packed
with essential amino acids and best used in spring to
promote colony growth and when producing splits,
packages and nucs
 VitaFeed Nutri: Protein-rich feed that can be used at any
time of the year to create strong winter bees
 VitaFeed Gold: Best for colonies that have been weakened
by dysentery or related conditions.

44. FEEDING IN SPRING
 If bees are short of stores
at the Spring inspection
then feed Thin Sugar
Syrup.

45. FEEDING IN SUMMER
 If bees are short of stores
during the Summer then
feed Thin Sugar Syrup.

46. FEEDING IN RAINY SEASON
 If you harvest your honey in late July or early August, this gives
the bees the opportunity to make their own winter stores.
 September/early October is the time of year to feed Thick Sugar
Syrup to ensure that honey bees have sufficient stores to last
them the Winter. Feeding is done after the honey crop has been
removed and whilst the colony is still strong, warm enough for
bees to move up into the feeder, able to take syrup down, invert
and store it properly in the comb.

47. WINTER FEEDING
 If bees are short of stores in
the winter and likely to starve
then bee candy (bakers
fondant) is placed over the
crown board feed hole. The
crown board may need
turning in order to position a
feed hole over the bee
cluster. Bees require water,
often taken as condensation
within the hive, to make use
of candy.

48. EMERGENCY FEEDING
 In extreme cases when bees
are starving spray them with a
Thin Sugar Syrup solution and
fill an empty comb with sugar
syrup. This can be done by
pouring the syrup into the cells
slowly by using a squeezy
bottle, e.g. a cleansed washing
up fluid bottle, filled with
sugar syrup. When filled, place
the comb adjacent to the bees.

49. FEEDING WATER
 If bees do not have natural
water supplies, then provide a
supply by using a water feeder
which can be bought and
adapted from equipment
suppliers.
 If making your own water feeder
remember that it is the natural
inclination of bees to suck up
moisture from a wet surface
such as soil, sand or brick rather
than from an open water surface

50. PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN
 HIVE SHOULDN'T BE KEPT MORE THAN HALF MILE AWAY
FROM PLACE OF POLLEN AND NECTAR COLLECTION.
 PEOPLE MUST KNOW ABOUT BEE KEEPER FOR PROPER
CONTACT.
 BOXES MUST BE KEPT IE AT COOL PLACES
 INDUSTRY MUST HAVE GOOD TRANSPORT FACILITIES
 FRESH WATER RESERVIOR MUST BE NEAR
 GOOD FLORA EASILY ACCESSIBLE

51. PRODUCTS OF BEE KEEPING

52. HONEY
 Honey is a sweet, viscous food substance made by honey
bees .
 Bees produce honey from the sugary secretions of plants
or from secretions of other insects , by regurgitation,
enzymatic activity, and water evaporation.
 Honey gets its sweetness from the monosaccharides
fructose and glucose, and has about the same relative
sweetness as sucrose

53. COMPOSITION OF HONEY
 Fructose: 38.2%
 Glucose: 31.3%
 Maltose: 7.1%
 Sucrose: 1.3%
 Water: 17.2%
 Higher sugars: 1.5%
 Ash: 0.2%
 Other: 3.2%

54. PRESERVATION OF HONEY
 Because of its composition and chemical properties, honey is suitable for
long-term storage, and is easily assimilated even after long preservation.
Honey, and objects immersed in honey, have been preserved for centuries.
 The key to preservation is limiting access to humidity. In its cured state,
honey has a sufficiently high sugar content to inhibit fermentation.
 If exposed to moist air, its hydrophilic properties pull moisture into the
honey, eventually diluting it to the point that fermentation can begin.
 The long shelf life of honey is attributed to an enzyme found in the stomach
of bees. The bees mix glucose oxidase with expelled nectar they previously
consumed, creating two byproducts – gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide,
which are partially responsible for honey acidity and suppression of bacterial
growth.

55. ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE OF HONEY
 FOOD VALUE - USED IN VARIETY OF FOOD PREPARATION .
USED IN CAKES BREADS ETC. 200G HONEY IS MORE
NUTRITIOUS THAN 11.5 L MILK.
 MEDICINAL USES - IT IS MILDLY LAXATIVE, ANTISEPTIC,
SEDATIVE. HELP IN BUILDING UP HB. ALSO CURES COLD,
COUGH, FEVER, MOUTH ULCERS.
 OTHER USES - FERMENTATION TO FORM ALCOHOLIC
BEVERAGES, BACTERIAL CULTURES, INSECT
DIET,STIMULATE PLANT GROWTH AND DROSOPHILA BAITS.

56. BEESWAX
 Beeswax is a natural wax produced by honey bees . The wax is formed
into scales by eight wax-producing glands in the abdominal segments of
worker bees, which discard it in or at the hive.
 The hive workers collect and use it to form cells for honey storage and
larval and pupal protection within the beehive. Chemically, beeswax
consists mainly of esters of fatty acids and various long-chain alcohols.
 Beeswax has been used since prehistory as the first plastic, as a lubricant
and waterproofing agent, in lost wax casting of metals and glass, as a
polish for wood and leather, for making candles, as an ingredient in
cosmetics and as an artistic medium in encaustic painting.Beeswax is
edible
 Widely used in making candles face creams paints ointments etc

58. BEE VENOM
 Bee venom is a colorless, acidic liquid. Bees excrete it through
their stingers into a target when they feel threatened.
 Has anti-inflammatory properties
 May reduce arthritis-related symptoms
 May benefit skin health - Multiple skincare companies have
started adding bee venom to products like serums and
moisturizers.
 May benefit immune health
 May fight Lyme disease - effects against Borrelia burgdorferi

60. PROPOLIS
 Propolis is a resin-like material made by bees from the buds of
poplar and cone-bearing trees.
 Propolis is rarely available in its pure form. It is usually obtained
from beehives and contains bee products. Bees use propolis to
build their hives.
 Propolis is used for diabetes, cold sores, and swelling
(inflammation) and sores inside the mouth (oral mucositis).
 It is also used for burns, canker sores, genital herpes, and other
conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support
these uses.

62. BEE DISEASES
American
Foulbrood
Disease (AFD)
European
Foulbrood
Disease (EFB)
Chalk Brood
Disease
Sac - brood
disease
Nosema disease
BACTERIAL BACTERIAL FUNGAL VIRAL FUNGAL
Paenibacillus
larvae
Melissococcus
plutonius
Ascosphaera
apis
Morator
aetatulas
Nosema apis/ N.
ceranae
The caps of these
dead brood cells
are usually darker
than the caps of
healthy cells,
sunken, and often
punctured.
The diseased
larvae die in coiled
stage. The colour
of the larva
decays from shiny
white to pale
yellow and then
to brown
the dead larvae
swell to the size
of the cell and are
covered with the
whitish mycelia of
the fungus
Diseased larvae
fail to pupate
after four days;
they remain
stretched out on
their backs within
their cells
the abdomen of
an infected
worker often
being swollen and
shiny in
appearance
frequent, efficient
inspection services
Replace infected combs
with empty fresh/
sterilized combs
the bees remove the
infected brood with
their hygiene behavior,
It is better to isolate the
infected colonies.
Nosema disease can best be
controlled by keeping
colonies as strong as possible
and removing possible causes
of stress

64. BEE ENEMIES
 WAX MOTHS ( GALLERIA MELLONELA AND ACHROIA
GRISELLA)
 WASP ( VESPA SPP AND PALARUS SP)
 BLACK ANTS
 BEE EATERS (MEROPS ORIENTALIS)
 KINGCROW ( CICRUTUS MACROCERCUS)
 MAN - WORST ENEMY

66. REFERENCES
 APPLIED ZOOLOGY - SHUKALA AND UPADHYAY.

67. THANK YOU!!!!