APICULTURE (NEET)

It is the scientific method of rearing of Honeybees for obtaining honey and other useful products from the Honeybee.

• The word Apiculture is derived from the Latin word were ‘apis’, meaning bee, so it is the method of rearing of honeybee or bee- keeping method.
• Honey-bee belong to Apis species.

SPECIES OF HONEY-BEE

• Apis mellifera (Italian bee)
• Apis indica (Indian bee)
• Apis florea (Little be)

LIFE OF HONEYBEE

• The honeybee lives in a nest (house) known as BEEHIVE.
• They are Colonial insect.
• They are Polymorphic in nature. i.e they exist in several different forms.
• Consist of 3 different types of Individuals.
  1. QUEEN
  2. DRONE
  3. WORKER BEE

QUEEN

• Large size
• Mostly one Queen per hive.
• Diploid.
• Fertile Female
• Larva to be Queen is fed upon Royal jelly.
• The sting is curved and modified as egg laying organ called Ovipositor.
• They lay eggs of two kinds:
  1. Fertilized eggs
  2. Unfertilized eggs
• The fertilized eggs develop into females and the unfertilized eggs develop into male (Drone)

DRONE

• Larger in size as compared to worker bee.
• Haploid.
• Fertile male.
• Sting gland is absent.
• The function of the male is to fertilize the queen, a nuptial flight is taken and after copulation the male dies.
• Males develop from Parthenogenesis that too from unfertilized eggs.

WORKER BEE

• Smallest in size.
• Diploid.
• Sterile female, thus do not produce eggs.
• The ovipositor is modified into sting, which is present at the tip of abdomen.
• The abdomen contains the wax gland and the sting.
• Their are different roles assigned to worker bee, and depending upon the kind of work they do ,the worker bees are named so.
• NURSERY BEE
  1. Function as a nurse bee
  2. Feed the larvae
  3. Clean the cell.
• HOUSEKEEPING BEE
  1. Storing nectar and pollen
  2. Cooling and warming the hive.
  3. Removing dead bodies.
  4. Storing nectar and pollen.
• FORAGER BEE
  • The work of this bee is to collect nectar from distant sources.

USES OF HONEY-BEE

• HONEY
  • Honey contains two sugars namely, Dextrose and Levulose which acts as a sweetening agent.
  • It prevents wound infection
  • Added in beauty products.
  • Natural and valuable tonic for human body.
• BEE WAX
  • It is used in Industries.
  • Found in Paints.
  • Found in furniture polishing.
• POLLINATION
  • Honey bees are pollinator of many crops thus helps in pollination of many crops.
• MEDICINAL VALUES
  • It is used in treatment of Diphtheria.
  • It is used in treatment of Arthritis.