12.4 Apiculture · Part 3

in size and shape but in other species, brood cells are of three types viz ., queen cell for queens, worker cell for workers and drone cells for drones (Figure. . ). The cells are intended for storage of honey and pollen in the upper portion of the comb whereas the lower portions are for brood rearing. Methods of Bee keeping The main objective is to get more and more quality honey. There are two methods used by apiculturists. They are indigenous method and the modern method. In indigenous method, the honey extracted from the comb contains wax. To overcome the drawbacks of the indigenous method, the modern method has been developed to improve the texture of hives. In India, there are two types of beehives in practice namely, Langstroth and Newton. Honey cells Queen cells Pollen cells Brood cells Drone cells Figure . Structure of a hive showing various cells Figure . - Langstroth bee hive Top cover Inner cover Frames Super Brood chamber Bottom board Stand Alighting board Queen Worker Drone Figure . Social organization of honey bees XI Std Biology-Zoology Chapter- The Langstroth bee hive is made up of wood and consists of six parts (Figure . ) namely Stand, Bottom board, Brood chamber, Super, Inner cover and Top cover. Besides the above primary equipments, other accessory equipments are used in beekeeping. They are Queen Excluder, Comb foundation, Bee gloves, Bee veil , Smoker, Hive Tool, Uncapping knife, Bee brush, Queen introducing cage, Feeder, Honey Extractor and Hive Entrance Guard . Products of bee keeping and their economic importance The chief products of bee keeping industry are honey and bee wax. Honey is the healthier substitute for sugar. The major constituents of honey are: levulose, dextrose, maltose, other sugars, enzymes, pigments, ash and water. It is an aromatic sweet material derived from nectar of plants. It is a natural food, the smell and taste depends upon the pollen taken by the honey bee. It is used as an antiseptic, laxative and as a sedative. It is generally used in Ayurvedic and Unani systems of medicine.