INTRODUCTION
For many people, thoughts of bees are often dominated by swarms of small yellow and black bugs that live in hives, make honey, and attack with a painful sting. This, however, is far from the true nature of some of the most important organisms on Earth. Familiar bees of the Order Hymenoptera include the honey bees, bumble bees, stingless bees, and carpenter bees. Members of these four bee groups are all social except the carpenter bees, which often make nests close together in wooden structures. The majority of bees are, however, solitary and each fertile female constructs her own nest. Solitary bees are also important pollinators in natural ecosystems and drastically outnumber the social bees. Honey bees are used commercially for large scale pollination (agricultural crops and other plants) and honey production. The practice of maintaining honey bee colonies is termed beekeeping or apiculture (from the Latin word for bee, apis). Beekeeping as a source of income varies from hobbyists that keep fewer than 25 colonies and make up the majority of beekeepers and those professionals that manage between 300 and 60,000 colonies. Only about 1% are commercial beekeepers that rely on bees for their livelihood and provide most of the nation�s pollination services. Honey bees can be used for large-scale honey production because they stockpile honey for an entire colony. Modern hives can be moved in order for the bees to pollinate some areas and focus on honey production in others. Areas where production hives are set up are called apiaries.
APICULTURE
• It is also known as bee-keeping.
• Apiculture is the maintenance of hives of honeybees for the production of honey.
• Honey and beeswax are the principal products of beekeeping.
ECONOMIC INFLUENCE
It is estimated that in North America around 30% of the food humans consume is produced from bee pollinated plant life. The value of pollination by bees is estimated around $16 billion in the US alone. We would be unable to enjoy most of our favorite fruits, vegetables, or nuts without these pollinators. Bees also pollinate crops such as clover and alfalfa that cattle feed on, making bees important to our production and consumption of meat and dairy.
ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE
• From the bees, we get honey. It is partly digested mixture of nectar and pollen. It is regurgitated by honey bees. Honey has a food value so also medicinal value. It is used as a laxative and as antiseptics.
(Source:Jessicagavin.com)
• From the bees, we get bee wax. It is used to manufacture cosmetics, face creams, paints and polishes, ointments, etc.
Source:www.sdprecisebioscience.com
• The venom of bees is used in the treatment of arthritis and snake bite.
Source:ResearchGate
• The bees are the chief pollinators. They perform cross pollination, leading to an increase in yielding of plant products due to hybridization.Source of the Image:Pass the Honey
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