KNOW HOW OF BEEKEEPING IN INDIA
Compiled & shared by-DR RAJESH KUMAR SINGH ,JAMSHEDPUR,JHARKHAND, INDIA, 9431309542,rajeshsinghvet@gmail.com
There is vast potential for beekeeping in the country. However, due to lack of knowledge, scientific beekeeping is not being practiced by the beekeepers. Selection of good apiary site, good quality bees and proper management are the main keys for success of beekeeping. Always use recommended methods to control swarming, division of colonies, uniting of colonies, mass queen rearing, stopping laying workers, robbing, desertion, migration, and management of diseases, pest and enemies, etc. The following advisories should be kept in mind for effective and beneficial beekeeping.
Bee-keeping is an absorbing hobby to some, and to others it is an industry for producing honey and wax. Since ancient times, honeybees have been kept in a crude manner in India. Bee-keeping, today is based upon improved methods using the principles of movable frame-hive, honey extractor and the smoker. Beekeeping is an ideal hobby because it involves outdoor work and does not require much time. It is both interesting and instructive. Moreover, the returns in the form of money and mental satisfaction are highly gratifying. Beekeeping is an asset as honey bees help in increasing crop yields through pollination and gather nectar to produce honey and wax. It is a well considered view that the income derived by increased crop yield due to beekeeping is quite substantial.
Scope—-
Beekeeping can be a profitable occupation in areas with good floral pasturage. Possibility for the development beekeeping in India is tremendous due to its diverse environment and inexhaustible floral resources obtained from natural vegetation and cultivated crops. According to recent statistics, about 50 million hectares of land is under the cultivation of oilseeds, pulses, orchards and other crops useful to bees and benefitted by bee pollination. In addition, there is about 60 million hectares of forest area with beekeeping potential. This vast area of agriculture and forest may easily sustain at least one crore bee colonies.
Bee keeping can profitably be pursued by men, women and children, by farmers, orchardists, and by those who are landless or underemployed. Bee hives can be kept to the backyard or on house tops. A subsistence farmer can get higher income from bee keeping than from other avocations. Those who have the time and interest can manage a number of beehives and make beekeeping a profitable enterprise by selling the surplus honey and wax. Several people in a village or group of villages may join, together and start a co-operative, generating work and income, since the manufacture of the basic beekeeping equipments such as hives, frames, smokers, extractors and containers, as well as the processing of honey and bee wax can be done locally.
Status—–
India today has about eight lakh bee colonies. considering the modem beekeeping which arrived in India only three decades ago with the advent of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC), today the number of bee colonies and beekeeper’s co- operatives are 8, 10, 807 and 169 respectively. It has made a spectacular achievement. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir, Punjab, Meghalaya, Andaman and Nicobar islands are the important states in which beekeeping co-operatives are active.
PROBLEM.—–
Problems associated with beekeeping are:
• non-availability of honey boxes to the beekeepers,
• lack of honey marketing facilities and
• inadequate training in the management of apiary.
A viable proposition in this regard is to strengthen the beekeeping co-operatives and establish the bee industry as a whole and national beekeeping farms on forest land.
Selection of good apiary site————–
Select apiary site by considering the following:
(i) Apiary ground should be clean & free from dry leaves etc. to avoid fire during summer (ii) Apiary site should be away from power station, brick kilns, highway and train tracks (iii) Site should be open & at dry place having shade (iv) Site should be easily accessible by road (v) Fresh running water should be easily available near the apiary (vi) It should have natural / artificial wind breaks (vii) Site should receive early morning and afternoon sunshine (viii) Area should be rich in bee flora (ix) There should not be other commercial apiary within 2-3 kilometers from the apiary site (x) There should not be any source of stagnant / dirty water, chemical industry/ sugar mill, etc., nearby the apiary
Selection of good quality bees ————–
Beekeeping can be done by domesticating two species of honey bees viz; Apis cerena and Apis mellifera depending upon floral conditions and capability of investments. However, success in both the cases depends on quality of bees, particularly queen. Therefore, the following should be kept in mind to select the bee colonies:
(i) Buy disease free bee colonies from existing beekeepers after getting training on the subject. (ii) Select and multiply honey bee colonies only from disease resistant, high honey yielding, young, healthy and high egg laying capacity queen, etc. (iii) Keep colonies with good prolific queens (iv) Capture few bee colonies from their natural abodes in forests which may be used for further breeding/ multiplication to prevent inbreeding
Management of apiary——–
- Placement of colonies in apiary
(i) Hives should be as per specification of BIS/ISI and should be of locally available seasoned light weight wood. Unseasoned and heavy wood should be avoided (ii) Avoid nailing the bottom board with the brood chamber (iii) Restrict number of bee colonies in a apiary from 50-100 (iv) Keep row to row and box to box distance as10 and 3 feet, respectively (v) Avoid over- stocking of colonies in the apiary - Inspection of colonies —–
(i) Adopt general colony and personal hygiene in the apiary like cleanliness in the beehives including cleaning the bottom board, top cover, etc. frequently (ii) Check the colonies periodically for any abnormalities or changes in behaviour of bees (iii) Inspect colonies on clear sunny days preferably at temperatures between 20 and 30°C (iv) Do not inspect colonies in cold, windy and cloudy days (v) Use smoker when needed to subdue the bees (vi) Use protective dress and veil while inspecting colonies (vii) Handle colonies gently, avoid jerks (viii) Avoid crushing bees as it could lead to stinging (ix) Isolate the diseased colonies from healthy ones. (x) Handle diseased and healthy colonies separately - Provision of fresh water in the apiary
Ensure availability of fresh water preferably in shallow containers near the apiary to maintain a healthy apiary. Water is needed for the following
(a) Maintenance of adequate humidity in a colony to ensure proper incubation of eggs (b) For feeding bee bread by nurse bees, the mixture of honey and pollen of certain consistency is required for which water is needed (c) When temperature in the apiary increases beyond 37°C, water is used by bees to evaporate and cool the colony
- Dearth period management—————
(i) Provide 50% sugar syrup to the colonies during dearth periods when honey stores in the colonies is not adequate and nectar is not available in the area. The syrup should be prepared by boiling clean water in the vessel and sugar added with slow stirring for few minutes. Cover the vessel with lid and let it cool. Feed cooled syrup. (ii) Sugar syrup should be kept in such a way that the bees should not drown in it. This should be ensured by using shallow vessels with straw to facilitate easy feeding (iii) Do not prepare the feed in open in the apiary and avoid dripping on the ground to prevent robbing by bees and ants (iv) Feed the colonies in the evening preferably after sunset (v) Feeding should be given to all colonies in the apiary at one time (vi) Do not feed colonies with honey or syrup mixed with honey (vii) Pollen substitute comprising of fat free soyabean flour (3 parts) + Brewer’s yeast (1 part) + skimmed milk powder (1 part) + sugar (22 parts) +honey (50 parts) made in the form of patties should be provided when pollen stores in the colonies is not adequate and pollen is not available in the area (viii) Provide fresh water near the colony in shallow vessels (ix) Extra frames should be stored in air tight chambers and fumigated with sulphur powder regularly (x) Old and dark combs should be discarded
- Care during honey extraction———–
(i) Use honey extractor, containers and other bee hive tools /equipments made of stainless steel / food grade plastic. Don’t use tins & containers made of other degraded material (ii) Wash all the equipments / containers etc. thoroughly with warm water before honey extraction (iii) Extract honey from super chambers only (iv) Select frames only with 75% sealed cells with ripened honey for extraction (v) Cover the entrance gate of the colony with small branches or twigs to avoid robbing
(vi) Extract honey in a closed room and not in the open to avoid robbing (vii) Do not leave super and brood frames, after extraction of honey open in the apiary; (viii) Do not spill honey in the apiary
- Care during migration ——————
(i) Migrate colonies during non-availability of flora to areas with abundant flora. (ii) Before migration survey the area to assess the availability of the flora to locate the colonies (iii) Ensure honey extraction before migration (iv) Close the entrance gates of the colonies in the evening after all worker bees are inside the colony (v) Pack the colonies internally and externally before migration to avoid jerking (vi) Colonies in the vehicle should be packed in such a way that the entrance side should face the front side of the vehicle (vii) Start migration late in the evening and ensure the colonies reach the destination within 10-12 hrs. the next day morning and entrance gates are opened after landing in the new location (viii) If the destination is far away, keep colonies by halting at an appropriate place in day time and open the entrance gate and repeat the process of migration (ix) Avoid jerking in the way while transporting bee colonies
- Seasonal management of apiary —————-
- a) Summer Management
(i) Keep the colonies in thick shade (ii) Regulate the microclimate of the apiary by using wet gunny bags over top cover and sprinkling water around the colonies in the apiary during noon hours. (iii) Provide proper ventilation in the colony by widening the entrance gate of the colony, providing additional gates to multi chambered colonies, placing thin small stick pieces between two adjacent chambers for the passage of fresh air, reducing the number of frames by 1 and allow 9 in the chamber (iv) Provide fresh water in/near the apiary - b) Monsoon management ———-
(i) Clean and bury deep the debris lying on the bottom board
(ii) Keep the surroundings of the colony clean by cutting the unwanted vegetation which may hamper free circulation of the air (iii) Provide artificial feeding (sugar syrup and/or pollen substitute) as per requirement of the colony (iv) Check the robbing within the apiary (v) Unite weak/laying worker colonies (vi) Control predatory wasps, ants, frogs, lizards in the apiary
- c) Post monsoon season management—————
(i) Provide sufficient space in the colony (ii) Strengthen the colonies to stimulate drone brood rearing (iii) Control ectoparasitic mites, wax moth and predatory wasps (iv) Extract autumn honey before the winter sets in
- d) Winter management—————-
(i) Examine the colonies and provide winter packings in weak colonies specially in hilly areas (ii) Feed sugar/pollen substitute to weak colonies as stimulative feeding to provide energy and initiate brood rearing (iii) Shift the colonies to sunny places (iv) Protect the colonies from chilly winds by using wind breaks (v) Unite the weak colonies with stronger ones
- e) Spring management —————
(i) Unpack the colonies, clean the bottom board, replace the worn out hive parts and provide sufficient space (ii) Provide stimulative sugar/pollen substitute to increase brood rearing (iii) Equalise the colonies (iv) Extra frames should be raised by providing comb foundation sheets (v) Replace the old queens with new ones through mass queen rearing or divide the colonies (vi) Manage the colonies in such a way to prevent swarming (vii) Monitor regularly for ectoparasitic mites and adopt control measures (viii) Extract honey frequently during this season
- Protecting colonies from pesticides————-
(i) Persuade the farmers not to use pesticides or use selective pesticides that are less harmful to bees at recommended concentrations (ii) Avoid the use of dust formulations as they are more harmful to bees than spray formulations (iii) Prior information about spraying would help in reducing poisoning of bees (iv) Avoiding spraying of pesticides during flowering of the crop and peak foraging time of the bees would help in reduction in the mortality of foraging bees (v) Spraying may be done in the evening after sun set when bees do not forage (vi) Colonies may be temporarily shifted if heavy spraying schedule is fixed (vii) If shifting of the colonies is not possible, feed with 200 ml sugar syrup and close the gate by using wire screen for the day of spraying
- Management of Honey Bee Diseases————–
Honey bees could be affected by diseases and the real cause of abnormality or any disease present in the honey bee broods need to be ascertained before taking up any control measures. It is best to contact the researchers/scientists/beekeeping experts at the nearest centre or university or Government department working on honey bees. After the exact diagnosis of the causal agent of the particular disease, the guidelines/ recommendations given by the expert should be followed in true letter and spirit. However, general advisory for the management of common diseases of honey bees is given below:
(i) Select good site to locate the apiary preferably in an open, dry place with shade. (ii) Adopt general colony hygiene in the apiary like cleanliness in the beehives including cleaning the bottom board frequently. (iii) Select and multiply honey bee colonies only from disease resistant stocks. (iv) Keep colonies with good prolific queens. (v) Create broodlessness in colony for at least 15 days by enclosing the queen in a queen cage. (vi) Check the colonies periodically for any abnormalities or changes in behaviour of bees. (vii) If you observe any colonies with disease, isolate them from healthy ones. Handle diseased and healthy colonies separately. (viii) Keep the colonies strong by adding sealed brood comb or worker population only from healthy colonies and also by providing adequate food during dearth periods.
(ix) Prevent robbing, drifting, absconding and avoid migration of bee colonies when you notice disease symptoms. (x) Follow ‘Shook Swarm’ or shaking method to remove contaminated combs completely by transferring entirely new combs in one operation to the colonies with disease symptoms. Destroy the removed combs by burning. (xi) Sterilise the combs and equipments by any one of the following methods: a. Disinfect the empty combs and equipments with 80 per cent acetic acid @ 150 ml per hive body in piles for few days at a protected place. Air the treated materials before use. b. Dip the contaminated equipments and combs in soap solution containing 7 per cent formalin for 24 hours. Then wash the treated material with water, dry and use. c. Disinfect the combs with UV rays in protected chambers/UV chambers, where possible. (xii) Use of antibiotics to control honey bee diseases is likely to result in contamination of honey causing problems in export of honey
Maintaining a beehive in an agricultural farm is not a new concept. Honey is a commercially important product since times unknown and a human going to forest to collect honey is well-known. Maintaining a beehive in a farm promises additional income to farmers. In addition, it does not require huge investments, infrastructure or even a fertile land to start bee farming in India. In agricultural, honey bees do not compete with the crops for resources. On the other hand, it helps increase agricultural productivity. This is because bees play an important role in pollinating many plants. Sunflowers and such other crops are highly dependent on bees for pollination. Honey produced by bees is of high commercial value. When honey is collected from the forests by traditional method, the bee colonies are destroyed. By raising them in artificial hives the colonies are preserved.
By-Products of a Honey Bee Farm
Apart from honey, there are other commercially important by-products like royal jelly, bees wax, pollen, propolis and bee venom.
Royal Jelly——
It is a secretion from the hypopharyngeal glands of nurse-bees. Queen larva and the young workers feed on royal jelly. It is milky in color and contains proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, minerals like iron, Sulphur, copper and silicon. It increases the vitality and vigor in humans.
Beeswax———–
Beeswax is secreted as a liquid but solidifies when exposed to air. Scales are formed after solidification which is removed by the hive-bees for building the comb. Although the wax is white in color, the shade varies depending on the pollen pigments. It is chiefly used in the candle industry. Other major places where the bees wax is important are for making creams, ointments, capsules, deodorants, varnish, shoe polish, etc.
HONEY–
It is a viscous fluid produced from the flower nectar by the bees. Commercially it is the most important product of apiculturesince it is a whole food containing sugars, antibiotics, enzymes, acids and minerals. Since it has a high sugar content, it is a high energy source. It is a useful carrier for many ayurvedic and unani medicinal preparations. In severe cases of malnutrition, ulcers and impaired digestion, honey is recommended for regular consumption.
Propolis——–
Propolis is the resin-like exudate collected by honey bees from the trees. It is used by them for sealing the cracks and crevices. It has an adhesive quality and hence mixed with Vaseline. It also has burn healing property and used for preparing ointments that treats cuts, wounds, etc.
Bee Venom——–
It is an important secretion used by the worker bees as a defense mechanism. It contains active chemicals like histamine, hydrochloric acid, formic acid, calcium, Sulphur, apamine, etc. Commercially it is obtained through electric shock. The hives are connected to a live circuit of 12-15 volts. Whenever the bees get in touch with the wire they receive the shock which irritates them and they react by depositing venom. Bee venom is injected into patients suffering from rheumatism. They cannot be cured by any other method. It also helps in curing neuralgia, endoarthritis, necrosis, etc.
Prior Knowledge to Start Honey Bee Farming in India—
Apiculture has its own set of challenges. Some of the problems and possible solutions of beekeeping in India are described below.
Beekeeping Knowledge–
This is one of the most important steps. The farmer must gain adequate knowledge on the beekeeping process, zoology of the bees, bee-human relation, sting management, etc. It is advisable to acquire training from the local beekeeping authority. Government organizations like National Bee Board under the Agriculture Department and Central Bee Research Training Institute provides training to farmers in apiculture. In addition, it is advisable to work with local farmers before starting beekeeping since it provides hands-on experience and latest apiculture information.
Planning for Beekeeping in India—-
Once adequate experience is gained the next step is to plan the apiculture process. For this it is necessary to decide on the site, type of bee, equipment to be used and last but not the least- place of marketing.
Flora and Ecology of the Place–
Having good knowledge about the ecology of the place and the flora helps the farmer in deciding the kind of bees to be reared for honey production in India.
Infrastructural Requirements for Beekeeping in India———–
Flora for Honey Bee Farm—
Flowers are the chief raw materials needed for honey production. Plants contain nectar and pollen both of which are essential for the survival and growth of honeybees. Consuming these raw materials bees manufacture honey, beeswax, royal jelly, etc. India being a predominantly agricultural country and forested land, natural vegetation is in abundance. This is especially true about parts of Western Ghats, North Eastern regions like Assam and Sundarban forests. Therefore, these areas are said to be more suited for the bee life. A mellifera which was introduced to India depends cultivation of crops like arecanut, coconut, mango, palm, cashew, cinnamon, cumins, fodder legumes, cloves, ginger, turmeric and such spice crops for survival. Plantations of tamarind, eucalyptus, gulmohar, etc. also boost honey production. Pulses, trees of citrus fruits, fence plants like mulberry, jatropha, rubber, etc. are also important for bee production. Statistics show that in parts of India where rubber plantation is in abundance they are the single and largest source of nectar for honey production. Similarly, litchis prove to be an excellent source during its flowering period, i.e, during the months of March to May. Cereal crops like maize, jowar and bajra are viewed with adequate importance for the pollen.
Place for Honey Bee Farm—–
The place of beekeeping must be dry. Humidity, moisture and dampness affect the quality of honey and the bees’ flight. The place chosen must be protected from harsh sunlight. It is preferred to keep the bees in shaded areas as they are protected by direct sunlight and the breeze keeps them cool. The place of rearing must also have a clean drinking water source. The most important requirement is that there must be plenty of forage or plants that yield nectar and pollen for the bees near the hives.
Methods of Beekeeping in India—–
Traditional Methods of Beekeeping in India
Beekeeping has been practiced in India since ancient times. Therefore there are different ways of rearing honey bees.
Clay Pots
Bees are reared in clay pots in parts of south India. Air holes are punched in the pots, smeared with beeswax and kept in gardens. They act as instruments to attract the swarms. Once the colony is set, another pot is inverted over this. Once the rains set in the pots are overturned and honey is harvested.
Tree Trunks
Trunks of trees or hollow wooden logs are used as hives. However this is in altitudes above 1800m sea level.
Wall Hives
These are common in the northern states like Jammu and Kashmir, parts of Himalayas etc. They are basically empty spaces on eastern side wall of the house.
Modern Hives
A modern beehive is a rectangular wooden box that can be easily moved. They have seven major components:
Stand
It is a support structure that forms the base of the hive. It generally has four legs.
Floor Board
It is a drawer like tray which is raised on all four sides by runners. However, in front it is an alighting board so that the tray can be pulled out if need be.
Brood Box
Unlike the name it is not a box but a frame rectangular frame in which scooped shelves are cut. They are cut along the length of the box.
Hive Frame
They are again wooden frames with the sides serving as top and bottom bars. The under-surface is grooved to serve as receptacle for the edge of comb foundation. The top bars extend beyond the rest of the brood box. The comb foundation is supported by four wires fixed between side bars. These wires act as mid-rib. The cells are constructed by the bees on the sides of the frames. The frames are kept apart so as to leave enough bee space.
Queen Excluder
This is a wired frame. The size of the wire is big enough for the workers to pass through but not fpr the queen. Hence the queen has to stay in brood box which is between the brood and super chamber.
Super Chamber
This is the chamber wherein honey is stored. The frames are similar to brood box except that they are shorter in height. Since it is used for storing honey, this chamber is also called honey chamber.
Cover
The hives have two covers on top- inner and outer. Inner cover protects the bee nest and maintains the humidity and temperature within the hive. The outer cover on the other hand acts as a roof and provides protection from rain and sun. The wooden planks also have ventilation holes in them.
Capturing Honeybees
No beehive can function without honeybees. The combs and bees are removed from their natural nests and placed in the wooden hive. This practice is normally done in the early morning or late evening. The weather is typically clear and the sun is mild during this period. Another way is to place decoy hives at different spots. The spots must be places wherein the bees are likely to swarm. Once a swarm settles, the decoy hive is taken and the colony is transferred to the movable hive frame. Since the workers do not stay in a hive without queen, a queen’s presence is necessary. Generally, when a colony is procured it must contain a young queen bee and a swarm of worker bees.
Queen Rearing———–
Although queen bees can lay eggs for 3 years, on an average they can lay fertilized eggs for a year or maximum two years. After this period they start laying unfertilized eggs. This affects the colony. Generally farmers revive the colonies by placing another queen bee. This process is called requeening. In apiculture, farmers are advised to requeen their hives after every one and half year.
Prevention of Swarming——
The strength of a bee colony lies in its worker bees. Swarming is a natural reproduction process that is generally uneconomical. This is because large parts of the work force leave the colony thus making it weak. During the swarming season, queen is removed and kept in cage and the queen cells are destroyed. It takes about 10 days for the swarming period to recede and pass away. After this the queen is released into the environment.
Prevention of Desertion———
Bees are known to desert their hives when:
• There is an external threat from enemies and pests.
• There is a dearth of floral broods.
• There is a scarcity of food.
Timing of desertion varies from place to place. It depends on the climate and weather conditions. Providing artificial feeds like sugar syrup can help prevent desertion.
Recent research has found that insecticide used in orchards is a great threat to honeybees and it causes desertion and mass death of honeybees. The best practice is to keep the beehives near the organic farms that are practicing integrated pest management.
Migration
Colony migration is performed by beekeepers under adverse climatic conditions and lack of floral forage. The Central Bee Research and Training Institute has developed a time-table for bee colony migration.
Honey Harvesting———–
Generally honey is harvested at the end of flowering season. Traditionally the hives are puffed with smoke so that the bees fly away. Then the combs are removed and squeezed in cloth to extract honey. In case of clay pots, the pots are broken and the comb is squeezed.
In wooden bee hives, honey is accumulated in the honey chamber. When one honey chamber is full and the honey is ripening, another chamber is inserted just below the filled chamber and just above the brood chamber. This process is repeated as and when each chamber gets full and the honey is left to ripe naturally. Once the combs start getting sealed, it is an indication that the honey is ripe and that it is time to extract them. The hives are then smoked and bees are dropped back into the hive by jerking the frame. The honey chambers or frames are then gathered and brought indoors for extraction. The sealing is cut open and kept into the honey extractor machine. The extractor is rotated at 300 rpm and the honey flows out owing to the centrifugal force. The frames are then placed back in the movable hive.
