APICULTURE

Management

Indian bee (Apis cerana indica)

This is the domesticated hive bee in Kerala. A colony consists of a queen, 20,000 to 30,000 workers and a few drones. This species is with gentle temperament and responds to smoking. Lack of flora leads to absconding and also has a strong tendency for swarming. It yields 8-10 kg of honey per colony per year.

Bee-box

ISI Type-A box is recommended for the state of Kerala. A division board may be added to the bee box for adjusting the internal space depending on the strength of the colony. It can also be procured from beekeepers. Wild feral colonies can be hived. Beekeepers in different regions use local hives made of low cost wood. The wood should not have a strong smell. Kail (Pinus excelsa), teak (Tectona grandis), toon (Toona ciliata) anjili (Artocarpus hirsutus), punna (Calophyllum inophyllum) are some of the suitable woods. The hives should be preferably painted white on outside to protect the timber from weathering.

Hiving wild colony

It is done during evening hours. Smoke the colony slightly, cut out the combs one by one and tie to the brood frames with plantain fibre. Arrange them in the box.

Location of beehives

The apiary must be located in well-drained open area, preferably near orchards, with profuse source of nectar, pollen and water. Planting shrubs, flowering plants and also creepers like antigonon may provide windbreaks. Shade must also be provided. Ant wells are fixed around the hive stand. The colonies must be directed towards east, with slight changes in the directions of the bee box as a protection from rain and sun. Keep the colonies away from the reach of cattle, other animal, busy roads and streetlights.

Management of colonies

Inspect the beehives at least once in a week during brood rearing / honey-flow seasons preferably during the morning hours. Bright, warm and calm days are suitable. If sunrays fall directly on the beehive spread cloth or a towel over the same. Look for freshly laid eggs to ensure that the colonies are healthy. Clean the hive in the following sequence, the roof, super/supers, brood chambers and floorboard. Observe the colonies regularly for the presence of healthy queen, brood development, storage of honey and pollen, presence of queen cells, bee strength and growth of drones. Look for the infestation by any of the following bee enemies.

Wax moth (Galleria mellonella): Remove all the larvae and silken webbings from the combs, corners and crevices of bee box.

Wax beetles (Platybolium sp.): Collect and destroy the adult beetles.

Mites: Clean the frame and floorboard with cotton swabs moistened with freshly made potassium permanganate solution. Repeat until no mites are seen on the floorboard.

Management during lean season

Remove the supers and arrange the available healthy broods compactly in the brood chamber. Provide division board, if necessary. Destroy queen cells and drone cells, if noted. Provide sugar syrup (1:1) @ 200 g sugar per colony per week for Indian bees. Feed all the colonies in the apiary at the same time to avoid robbing.

Management during honey flow season

Keep the colony in sufficient strength before honey-flow season. Congestion in the hive must be avoided and surplus honeybees are drawn to supers. Provide maximum space between the first super and the brood chamber and not above the first super. Place queen excluder sheets in between brood and super chamber to confine the queen to brood chamber. Examine the colony once in a week and frames full of honey should be removed to the sides of the super and such frames can be raised from brood to super chamber. The frames, which are three-fourth filled with honey or pollen and one-fourth with sealed brood should be taken out of brood chamber and in its place empty combs or frames with foundation is added. The frame with comb foundation should be placed next to the brood nest. The combs, which are completely sealed, or two-third capped may be taken out for extraction of honey and returned to supers after honey extraction. This helps the colonies to activate the bees to collect and store more honey. Two or three such extractions are possible during a surplus flow. Extraction of uncapped honey will result in fermentation. Honey extraction, after the flow is over, should be avoided to save the bee colonies from robbing. Care should be taken to retain sufficient combs with honey in the brood chamber or reduce the lean period.

Migratory bee keeping

The moving of bee colonies from one place to another to capture increased nectar flow of a particular flora is called migratory beekeeping. Copious flow of extra floral nectar available on rubber trees during January-April is exploited by shifting bee colonies to these plantations during this period.

Similar practice is done in cashew plantations and in other orchards too. Maintaining bee colonies in orchards will increase the yield, since pollination is more efficient in such orchards.
Shifting of colonies is done after sun set. Colonies should be prepared as follows. Extract available honey and fasten all the weak combs to frames with plantain fibres. Secure the frames to the chamber with packing. Close the bee entrance with cotton. Then secure the bee-box (floorboard, brood chamber, supers and roof) firmly with strong threads. Do not tilt or topple beehives while stacking them in the conveyance or during transit. Avoid strong jerks and shocks while transporting.

Set up the beehives as described above at the new site. Inspect the condition of combs and tighten loose threads, if any. This inspection should be done only in dim light. Next morning remove the cotton plug at bee entrance. Later provide comb foundation sheets, if necessary and provide sufficient space for storage of honey.