What is the bee keeping??
Beekeeping! Beekeeping is the practice of maintaining and caring for colonies of honey bees (Apis mellifera) and other bee species. Beekeepers manage bees for various purposes:
Objectives of Beekeeping
1. *Honey production*: Harvesting honey from bee colonies.
2. *Pollination*: Providing bees for pollination services to crops and gardens.
3. *Beeswax production*: Harvesting beeswax from honeycombs.
4. *Bee breeding*: Breeding bees for specific traits, such as disease resistance or high honey production.
Beekeeping Process
1. *Inspecting colonies*
2. *Managing queen bees
3. *Controlling pests
4. *Harvesting honey*
Benefits of Beekeeping
1. *Honey and beeswax production*
2. *Pollination services*
Challenges in Beekeeping
1. *Colony losses*
2. *Pesticide use*
3. *Climate change*
The practice of keeping honeybees in hives for the purpose of harvesting honey and other bee products.
Beekeeping also called apiculture, is the art of cultivating and managing honey bees in artificial hives. This hying-off colony is called beekeeping because human observation of bees in hives is quite comprehensive by far, of course, to achieve purposes of commerce. The main function is to manage bee colonies to produce honey, and beeswax, among other items, for the pollination of crops.
Importance of Beekeeping:
1. Production of Honey: Honey is an excellent source of natural sweetening.
2. Beeswax: Making of candles, cosmetics, and medicinal-related products.
3. Pollination: Honeybees help with pollination in crops and hence help increase agricultural yield.
4. Employment: Commercial and household beekeeping provides many livelihood opportunities, especially in rural areas.
5. Ecological Balance: Bees help in the maintenance of biodiversity through floral reproduction.
How Beekeeping is Done:
1. Selection of Bee Species: Common species include Apis cerana indica (Indian bee) and Apis mellifera (European bee).
2. Setting Up Beehives: Artificial hives are placed in areas where there is a high density of flowering plants purporting to “locality” disturbance to the “ecosystem”.
3. Maintenance: Existing care is provided to protect the bees from pests, diseases, and predators.
4. Harvesting: Honey and other products are usually harvested without causing injury to bees.
Conclusion:
Beekeeping is a very sustainable and eco-friendly employment activity for agriculture and the economy respectively. Beekeeping forms part of a strategy to improve food resources and environmental health.