Honey bee
Honey bees are social insects. They live as colonies. They are active throughout the year. They feed on the pollen and nectar of flowers. In India there are four different varieties of honey bees. Of these, only three species are useful in collecting honey.
1. Apis dorsata (Rock bee). This is the largest of the Indian honey bees. It produces plenty of honey. It builds large open single combs which may often be four feet long on tall forest trees. It is not possible to domesticate them for the bee keeping industry.
2. Apis florea : This is the smallest of the three species and is known as the little bee. It builds single combs, which are very small. They are found hanging from bushes and corners of roof.
3. Apis indica : This is the common Indian honey bee. Its size is intermediate between A. dorsata and A. florea. This bee builds several parallel combs, generally in hollows of trees, on the walls, inside wells, caves and similar protected spots. This is the only Indian honey bee capable of domestication. The honeybees collect nectar from various flowers. The nectar is swallowed by the bees. In its stomach due to the action of enzymes certain changes happen to the nectar. Later in the bee hive it is regurgitated and stored in chambers as honey.
Apiculture or Bee keeping is the technique of rearing honey bees for honey and wax from their comb or beehives.
Uses of Honey and Bees wax
Honey has a high nutritive value. Its colour and smell varies in accordance with the nectar collected from different flowers. It is estimated that 200g of honey provides as much nourishment as 11.5 litres of milk or 1.6kg cream or 330g meat. One gram of honey providesapproxmately 33k.cal of energy. Honey has laxative, antiseptic and sedative charcteristics. It is used in Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicines. It is
helpful in building up the haemoglobin of the blood. It prevents cough, cold, and fever. It cures ulcers on tongue and alimentary canal. It is also used in the preparation of bread, cakes and biscuits.
Beeswax is also a natural secretion of the worker bee from the glands located in the abdomen. It is used in the manufacture of cosmetics, face creams,paints, ointments, insulators, plastic works, polishes, carbon paper and manyother lubricants. It is also used in microtomy for block preparation of tissues.
Honey bees are social insects. They live as colonies. They are active throughout the year. They feed on the pollen and nectar of flowers. In India there are four different varieties of honey bees. Of these, only three species are useful in collecting honey.
1. Apis dorsata (Rock bee). This is the largest of the Indian honey bees. It produces plenty of honey. It builds large open single combs which may often be four feet long on tall forest trees. It is not possible to domesticate them for the bee keeping industry.
2. Apis florea : This is the smallest of the three species and is known as the little bee. It builds single combs, which are very small. They are found hanging from bushes and corners of roof.
3. Apis indica : This is the common Indian honey bee. Its size is intermediate between A. dorsata and A. florea. This bee builds several parallel combs, generally in hollows of trees, on the walls, inside wells, caves and similar protected spots. This is the only Indian honey bee capable of domestication. The honeybees collect nectar from various flowers. The nectar is swallowed by the bees. In its stomach due to the action of enzymes certain changes happen to the nectar. Later in the bee hive it is regurgitated and stored in chambers as honey.
Apiculture or Bee keeping is the technique of rearing honey bees for honey and wax from their comb or beehives.
Uses of Honey and Bees wax
Honey has a high nutritive value. Its colour and smell varies in accordance with the nectar collected from different flowers. It is estimated that 200g of honey provides as much nourishment as 11.5 litres of milk or 1.6kg cream or 330g meat. One gram of honey providesapproxmately 33k.cal of energy. Honey has laxative, antiseptic and sedative charcteristics. It is used in Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicines. It is
helpful in building up the haemoglobin of the blood. It prevents cough, cold, and fever. It cures ulcers on tongue and alimentary canal. It is also used in the preparation of bread, cakes and biscuits.
Beeswax is also a natural secretion of the worker bee from the glands located in the abdomen. It is used in the manufacture of cosmetics, face creams,paints, ointments, insulators, plastic works, polishes, carbon paper and manyother lubricants. It is also used in microtomy for block preparation of tissues.
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