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1. Student READY Programme
Crop Protection Interventions
Apiculture – SRA 412 (0+3)

2. Species of Honey bees
Five Species –
Rock bees – Apis dorsata
Indian Bee – Apis cerena indica
European bee – Apis mellifera
Little bee – Apis florea
Stingless / Dammer bees - Tetragonula iridipennis / Trigona
irridipennis

3. Rock bees (Apis dorsata)

4. Nests of A. dorsata are typically constructed in open or exposed and conspicuous
areas (tall trees, rock cliffs, or even buildings).
Usually the nests are aggregated (although they can also be single), and sometimes
10–25 nests in the same area or even on a single tree (also known as bee trees).
Their nests are normally at heights of around 6 m above ground some nests can be
found as low as 3 m and as high as 25 m.
Nesting sites of Apis dorsata

5. Indian Bee (Apis cerena indica)

6. Nesting sites of Apis cerena indica
Build multiple combed nests in tree hollows and man-made structures.
These bees can adapt to living in purpose-made hives and cavities.

7. European bee (Apis mellifera)

8. Little Bee (Apis florea)

9. Nesting sites of Apis florea
Apis florea build exposed nests always with a single comb on a single branch.
Prefer trees with dense foliage like pongamia, mango
If they are building a new nest near to the old one, they salvage the wax from the
old nest.

10. Stingless bee / Dammer bee (Tetragonula
irridipennis)

11. Nesting sites
Tree cavities
Rock crevices
Stone walls
Cracks and crevices of old walls

12. Survey of bee flora and their floral sources
Maintain a Diary (100 pages note book)
Record flowering trees, herbs, shrubs in your allocated village.
Record the observation of bee’s activities on flowers of different plant species
found in the village
Whenever bees were found on the flowers of such plants, their foraging behaviour
was observed for a period of 10 minutes.
If the success of any foraging attempt was ascertained, the plant was scored as
bee foraging species if at least three (3) honeybees visited the flowers
simultaneously within 10 minutes of the observation.

13. How to identify the floral sources??????????
Honeybees with their activity of extending their proboscis into the flowers are
considered as nectar source
Bees carrying pollen on their hind legs were determined as pollen source.
Honeybees with their activity of extending their proboscis into the flowers
and also collecting pollen on their hind legs were determined as nectar and
pollen yielding plants.

20. Preparation of floral calendar
Floral Calendar is a timetable that provides flowering dates & duration of
pollen & honey plants.
Flowering pattern of bee flora during different seasons
The foraging behaviour of bees, and the manner in which the honey bee
colonies interact with their floral environment.

21. S. No. Location Bee flora Botanical Name Flowering time Utility to honey bees
1. PCP Farm, NDUAT Mustard Brassica spp. 10 Dec-20 Jan N
Gram Cicer arietinum 5 Feb-10 Mar N
Bakla Vicia faba 20Feb-30Mar P
2. MES Farm, NDUAT Pigeon Pea Cajanus cajan 1Feb-10Mar N
Gram Cicer arietinum 1Feb-15Mar N
3. GPB Farm, NDUAT Mustard Brassica spp. 15Dec-25Jan P N
Pea Pisum sativum 10Dec-5Jan P N
Pigeon Pea Cajanus cajan 5Feb-15Mar N
4. Horticulture Farm, NDUAT Lemon Citrus sinensis 20Feb-30Mar P N
Eucalyptus Eucalyptus globules 1Feb-10Mar N
Mango Mangifera indica 1Feb-15Mar P
Aonla Emblica officinalis 1Mar-5Apr P N
Guava Psidium guajava Yearly P N
Bael Aegle marmelos Des-Jan P N
5. Pithla, Faizabad Pea Pisum sativum 10Dec-10Jan P N
Pigeon Pea Cajanus cajan 5Feb-25Mar N
Mustard Brassica spp. 20Dec-30Jan N
Mango Mangifera indica 1Feb-20Mar P N
6. Tendha, Faizabad Mustard Brassica spp. 20Dec-25Jan N
Pigeon Pea Cajanus cajan 1Feb-10Mar N
Pea Pisum sativum 20Dec-15Jan P N
Mango Mangifera indica 5Feb-25Mar P N
7. Shivnathpur, Faizabad Mustard Brassica spp. 20Dec-25Jan N
Pigeon Pea Cajanus cajan 1Feb-10Mar N
Mango Mangifera indica 1Feb-20Mar P N
Pea Pisum sativum 20Dec-15Jan P N
Gram Cicer arietinum 30Jan-15Feb N
8. Tiwaripurwa, Faizabad Pigeon Pea Cajanus cajan 1Feb-10Mar N
Mustard Brassica spp. 25Dec-25Jan N
Mango Mangifera indica 1Feb-20Mar P N
Pea Pisum sativum 20Dec-15jan P N

23. Location of feral colonies
Bee lining (also known as “bee coursing” or “bee hunting”) is the practice of following a
honey bee back to its nest in order to locate a feral bee colony in a tree.
Bee lining has been a traditional method to locate bee trees in the wild, which could then
be opened and robbed of honey.
The practice was popular in the past when beekeeping was less common
Track bees in the spring and summer.
Find a natural swarm.
Attract bees with nectar, if necessary.

24. Training Programme on Beekeeping
Bee box from the department has to be carried for the explanation
Explanation includes –
Scientific Beekeeping, when to start beekeeping, Where to start beekeeping and How
to start beekeeping. Advantages of beekeeping
Species of naturally occurring honeybees, domesticated species, Colony structure,
caste system, Life cycle of honeybees.
Significance of the Products obtained from the honeybees
Management of honey bees during different seasons
Communication and behaviour of honeybees
Pests and diseases of honey bees and their management
Implements required for beekeeping, Subsidies and schemes to start beekeeping

25. Agro – Industrial Attachment
SRA 417 (0+2)

26. 3 weeks
Students allotted under discipline Agricultural entomology will be
attached to Biological Control Laboratory, Mandya
Objective -
To get acquainted with the day to day activities of mass production
of the hosts of predators and parasitoids
To get acquainted with mass production of bio agents (Egg
parasiotids, larval parasitoids, bio fungicides)
To resolve the problems associated during the mass production of
bio agents

27. Project Report preparation
Project report presentation
Project Report Evaluation